In Your Eyes
by flyinghearts
Summary: Her chocolate eyes were swimming with tears. 'Im ugly. My own mother doesn't love me.' She whispered. 'No.' He breathed, blue eyes sparkling. 'You're beautiful.' [Troyella]
1. Why don't you love me?

**A/N: So... I thought the first chapter was crap. so i re-did it, and now I can actually say I'm proud of it! yay me! lol.**

In your eyes,

I'm a criminal.

All that I do,

Is a crime.

All that I do

Is some kind of ploy;

Some way to sabotage your efforts

To be a perfect parent.

In your eyes,

I'm not the perfect child.

I'm the failure.

I'm the rebel.

In your eyes,

I'm the brat.

The annoyance.

The bitch.

The waste of space.

I'm a bitch.

I've built my walls.

I let no one too close anymore.

I will snap at the smallest thing,

Not knowing why.

The second I believe,

That your making an effort to know me,

To help me, to save me;

It's like a poof of smoke.

And then your gone.

In your eyes,

I will never compare.

I will never live up to you,

And your perfect childhood.

I will never be the perfect child.

Sometimes I wonder,

If maybe, just maybe,

You're driving me towards my own destruction.

My own demise,

All alone in my walls.

I can feel myself falling,

Falling away.

I'm not the girl I used to be.

I can pretend,

Force a smile,

Fake a laugh.

It's not worth it.

In your eyes,

I'm just the makings of a failure.

In your eyes,

I'll be sitting alone when I'm old;

No one to die with.

Because I'm the bitch.

The criminal.

I just want someone who cares.

Someone who gives a shit about me.

You tell me,

"We love you."

"We hate seeing you unhappy."

If that's so,

Why do you make my life so damn miserable?

In your eyes,

I'm the bitchy girl,

Who gives you headaches,

Gives you problems.

In your eyes,

I'm self centered.

I care about nothing but myself.

I don't care about you.

And I don't.

Not anymore.

Not since you began the rampage,

The tug-of-war on my life.

And then you wonder,

Why I no longer confide in you.

Everything I put out there,

Every piece of me I release,

You grab for yourself.

I want to be treated like a human.

I'm not a criminal.

I'm not a mastermind,

Plotting to overthrow you.

Not everything I do,

Is to hurt you,

To annoy you.

In your eyes

I am ugly.

I am ragged.

I am trash.

A waste of space.

But I'm about to find out,

That I am beautiful.

_"Daddy! Stop it!" Giggled a four year old Gabriella Montez, her dark curls bouncing as she squirmed to get out of her father's gentle grasp. Mr. Montez grinned down at her before picking her up and swinging her around. Gabriella's squeals of delight were music to his ears. _

_Finally, he set her down on the soft grass and kissed her forehead affectionately. She collapsed back onto the ground next to her mother, giggling uncontrollably._

_Mr. Montez sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around his wife and daughter. "Look! Pretty lights!" Cried Gabriella, clapping her hands excitedly as the fireworks show started overhead._

_Mrs. Montez smiled and turned to her daughter. Her motherly instincts kicked in as she saw the small child shivering in her pink dress. "Honey, are you cold?" She queried. Gabriella nodded furiously, and Mrs. Montez wrapped a blanket around her tiny shoulders. Pulling Gabriella into her lap, Mrs. Montez sat back and watched the fireworks for the first time as a family._

_As a family. How great that sounded… The Montez's were still a relatively new family. Having gotten pregnant at 18 with her boyfriend's daughter, they decided to get married after the child was born. And everything had worked out perfectly. Except for the fact that their parents still had no idea…_

_The little girl yawned, obviously exhausted, and snuggled further into her mother's arms. The young parents laughed softly at their daughter, and began to gather their things._

_Finally arriving at their house, the parents stood over a sleeping Gabriella, smiles playing on their lips._

"_Goodnight Gabriella. Sweet dreams." Whispered Mr. Montez slipping an arm around his wife's waist._

"_Happy New Years. We love you."_

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_--------------------_

_I'm a bitch._

_I've built my walls._

_I let no one too close anymore._

_I will snap at the smallest thing,_

_Not knowing why._

_----------------------_

"Gabriella, if you don't get up right now, I swear to god I'll--" Already fully clothed, I threw open the door to face my mother.

"I've been up for hours! Go away!" I told her angrily, all the while buttoning my miniskirt and adjusting my top. She was about to retort when she spotted the low cut of my blouse. She raised an eyebrow, Maria Montez language for disapproval. Not that I cared. I really didn't have time for this.

"Don't even start." I said warningly, before returning to my closet and rummaging through my clothes. I heard her footsteps behind, me and the creak of my bed as she sat. "Mother! I just made that!" My mom just rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Jesus Christ, you are so uptight. I was never like that when I was your age. I actually had fun sometimes instead of being a frigid--" By that time, I had heard this speech way too many times. About how she was the perfect child. The perfect everything.

"MOM!" I cried, louder than intended. She looked at me expectantly while I returned to my closet. "You were the perfect child, I get it. End of story." I snapped. My mom looked as though she'd been slapped in the face, before glaring at me.

"Maybe you should appreciate what you aren't." She retorted coldly before leaving. Groaning in frustration, I extracted myself from the closet and slid down the wall, burying my head in my hands. I hated my life. I really did. Sure, I had the hottest boyfriend, the coolest clothes, the best friends. But none of it mattered. It never did. All I wanted was that glorious feeling I only hear about, that wonderful on-top-of-the-world feeling you only get when your parents are proud of you.

But the last time I had felt that was in 2nd grade, when I learned how to ride my bike. I bit my lip, trying not to cry at the memory. It had honestly been the best feeling of my life when my parents had patted me on the back, given me a hug, and even given me a card; all to express how proud they were of their daughter.

I used to always wonder who my grandparents were. My parents never talked about them, and there was no sign of them anywhere in the house. I would know, I looked. The year that everything began crashing down around me, the year that home became hell, the year that my parents began to hate me, was the same exact year that my grandparents found me. It was the same year I learned everything about my parent's past.

My parent's eloped at just 18, as soon as they found out they were having me. They left without a word, in the dark of the night, leaving everyone, including their parents, clueless. They eventually settled down in Augusta, Maine and had me.

My grandparents disowned my parents when they found me. And they've hated me ever since.

--------------------------

_In your eyes,_

_I'm the brat._

_The annoyance._

_The bitch._

_The waste of space._

_-----------------------_

"What's your problem?!" I screamed at my dad. He was watching me with that cold, calculating stare of his. I swear to god, I haven't actually seen any other emotion other than annoyance and anger on him since… Well, you know. He was tapping his foot as he awaited my explanation. "I went out with my boyfriend! Why is that such a crime?!" I cried, throwing my hands up.

He laughed coldly and rolled his eyes when I said the word "boyfriend". "You think that boy actually likes you?! Why would anyone like you?! No one, especially after the way you've been treating your mother and I tonight." My jaw dropped. He could not be serious. "And especially," He pulled on the edge of my sleeve. "When your dressed like that." Tears pricked my eyes, but I wouldn't let him see me cry. I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"Somebody have a bad day at work?" I asked in a baby voice before returning my voice to a normal pitch. "'Cause you do this every freaking time you have a bad day."

"This has nothing to do with my day. This is all about what a bitch you're being to me right now." I stifled a sob at his tone, reminding myself he said that every time.

"I'm not a bitch. You are. " I told him in a near whisper, as though to myself.

He laughed loudly and looked at me with cool amusement. "You think that, sweetie." And with that, he swept past me and into his office.

I hated him. I hated everything he'd become. Vaguely, I could remember the days when he would randomly pick me up and spin me around. The days when he would hold me until my tears stopped. The days when he loved me. I stood there in silence, my face emotionless. I wanted to stay there forever, hiding in the dark from my friends. My boyfriend. My parents. My life.

The vibrating of my phone in my pocket awoke me from my reverie. Slightly annoyed, I pulled the phone out of my pocket and pressed it to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey Gabs. Did you hear about the party at Lance's?" Alicia's voice filled my ears, and I cringed at the high pitched squeal of it.

"Who didn't?" I replied. It was true; the guy had posted flyers on everyone's lockers, called everyone, even gotten the school speaker to announce it over the intercom in the morning. It was honestly unavoidable.

"Well you're coming. With me. Tonight. It's in like… two hours. So get ready!" She squealed obviously excited. I rolled my eyes. There was no way I was going to be getting out of my prison-- uhh house. My dad probably already knew about the party, and was at this moment padlocking every window and door. Ugh.

"Sorry, Alicia… I don't think I can go." I said in a fake-disappointed voice. I honestly didn't care that I couldn't go. Although no one would believe me if I said it, I'm not really a partier. This coming from the girl who gets wasted almost once a week... But whatever.

"Awe… Gabi, that sucks! I guess you'll just have to sneak out then won't you." She said matter-of-factly. If she was here right now, I swear to god she would be dead. I was definitely ready to kill her. Suddenly, an idea popped into my oh-so-brilliant mind.

_A way to get back at dad._

I smiled and pressed the phone closer to my ear and whispered, "Don't worry, Alicia. I'll be there."

My life sucks ass. I might as well have a little fun with it.

_----------------------_

_I can feel myself falling,_

_Falling away._

_I'm not the girl I used to be._

_I can pretend,_

_Force a smile,_

_Fake a laugh._

_It's not worth it._

_---------------------_

I grinned stupidly up at my boyfriend, hanging drunkenly off his arm. Finally noticing I was practically staring at him, he turned and smiled awkwardly at me. Finally, I turned my throbbing head towards the center of the party; the dance floor. Couples were dancing heatedly, grinding into each other, and plainly, it bored me.

"Let's go home and have some fun of our own!" I said, looking expectantly at Warren. He considered it for a moment, before nodding excitedly. The sudden movement seemed to hurt his head, and clutched his head before staggering towards the door.

Standing there for a moment, I finally followed him out into the street. The street lights were almost blinding as I struggled into the front seat of Warren's car. We just sat there, not even bothering to start the car, as we soaked in each other's company.

"You want to know something, Warry?" I said into the silence. He grunted and leaned against the cool glass of the window. "My parent's hate me! Isn't that insanely funny?" I giggled. "And you want to know the funniest part? They have no reason! They call me a bitch, and a criminal! And they even call me ugly! Isn't that hilarious?" I was laughing harder now and my head was beginning to hurt again.

"And then--" Hiccup "And then, they tell me they don't want to see me upset! But then they make me feel like shit… AGAIN!" I yelled the last part before collapsing in laughter.

"And you know what else is funny, Warren? I neverrrr would have gotten drunk before. EVER! Because I was a bitch. And I was ugly. But now I'm beeeeeYOUtiful!" By now I was laughing hysterically, tears rolling down my cheeks. "Do you think I'm beautiful, Warren? Don't you think I'm drop-dead gorgeous?" I looked at him expectantly, just to find he was asleep.

Still laughing, I opened his door and dragged him out of the car and onto the sidewalk. I reentered the car, this time on the driver's side. I started up the car, and began my way home. I turned on the radio, turning the volume all the way up as I sped through traffic.

**I couldn't tell you why she felt that way,  
She felt it everyday.  
And I couldn't help her,  
I just watched her make the same mistakes again.**

**  
**

Suddenly, I felt sad. All the giddiness from earlier had melted away as I listened to the song sadly. Softly but slowly, I began to sing along. "Why don't you love me?" I whispered into the darkness.

**What's wrong, what's wrong now?  
Too many, too many problems.  
Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs.  
She wants to go home, but nobody's home.  
It's where she lies, broken inside.  
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.  
Broken inside.**

Slowly, the tears came. I closed my eyes to wipe them away, only to open my eyes and find a pair of headlights speeding towards me.

**Open your eyes and look outside, find the reasons why.  
You've been rejected, and now you can't find what you left behind.  
Be strong, be strong now.  
Too many, too many problems.  
Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs.  
She wants to go home, but nobody's home.  
It's where she lies, broken inside.  
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.  
Broken inside.  
**

The crunching of metal. The piercing scream I recognized as my own. It all came in a blur.

**Her feelings she hides.  
Her dreams she can't find.  
She's losing her mind.  
She's fallen behind.  
She can't find her place.  
She's losing her faith.  
She's fallen from grace.  
She's all over the place.  
Yeah,oh**

I found myself on the gravel, pain coursing through my body. I could hear the slamming of car doors, the noise of blaring of the sirens. My vision was slowly starting to cloud over…

**She wants to go home, but nobody's home.  
It's where she lies, broken inside.  
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.  
Broken inside.**

Suddenly, I could see my mother's face. She was young, care-free. And she was smiling. That was the last thing I saw before everything went black.

_---------------_

_The second I believe,_

_That your making an effort to know me,_

_To help me, to save me;_

_It's like a poof of smoke._

_And then your gone._

_-----------------_

My eyes fluttered open to the sound of beeping machines. My body ached, and my head was pounding. Suddenly, I realized what was happening. I was in a hospital, and I just gotten in a car accident.

I groaned, my parents were going to kill me.

I practically jumped out of my skin when the door to my room flew open. "Oh my god! Sweetie, we were so worried!" I smiled at the worried expression on my mom's face. Maybe she actually cared…

"Honey, what were you thinking? You have to use better judgment next time." Said my dad, in a stern fatherly tone.

They actually cared. I could feel myself tearing up at just the thought of them caring about what happened to me. So what if I was in a hospital, possibly with a concussion and maybe a broken rib or two? My parents loved me. And that was all that mattered.

However, my dream was cut short when the doctor entered behind them. Of course. They wanted to seem parent-like in front of the doctor. The doctor smiled at me, before abruptly turning to my parents.

"So, Ms. Montez has a concussion and a broken leg. She's a very lucky girl." Said the doctor, her voice in a whisper as thought I wouldn't be able to hear them.

"Can I talk to my parents alone?" I asked, after a few minutes of the adults talking whispers. The doctor nodded and left the room. Taking a deep breath, I looked at them. They had obviously took their time to get here; my mother's make up was fresh and my father had gelled his hair. Tears pricked my eyes at the thought that they hadn't really felt obligated to come fast.

"Stop acting like you care." I said abruptly. They just smiled innocently at me and shrugged, as though they were confused. Yeah, right. "I know you guys don't care. And that fact alone hurts. So pretending just makes it worse." I told them, silently scolding myself for telling them this much.

An unknown emotion flashed onto my mom's face. Was it… regret? She quickly covered the emotion with her mask of coolness and smiled at me again.

"What do you mean, honey?" She asked sweetly.

"The doctor's not here, so cut the shit." I spat, glaring at her. After a moment of silence, it was my dad who first spoke.

"What the fuck, Gabriella? Now we have to pay for the damage! Do you know how much that is?" He cried. My mom watched me for a moment before speaking.

"We're moving." She said nonchalantly, and began to pick at her nails.

"WHAT?!" I screeched, staring at her incredulously. "Are you fucking serious?"

"You're the reason, Gabriella. I'm leaving my job, my friends, my house. I hope your happy." She told her curtly, before walking out of the room.

I stared after her. I couldn't move. Everything I'd ever had was here. All my friends, my boyfriend, my everything! I could NOT move! I closed my eyes, attempting to get my breathing back to normal. This was too surreal.

When I opened my eyes, I was alone. More alone than ever.

**A/N: So was it too fast? Too slow? You tell me. Reviewwww! **


	2. Because I was born

**A/N: here's the second chapter:) **

_A five year-old Gabriella Montez sat in the waiting room of the hospital, completely and utterly confused as to why she was there. Glancing at the clock anxiously, she turned to the man in the chair beside her. "Do you know where my mommy is ?" The small child asked, before beginning to bite her already non-existent nails._

_The stranger smiled slightly in amusement before shaking his head. Gabriella returned her attention to the clock._

_All Gabriella knew was that her mother was here somewhere, but she wasn't allowed to find her. Her father had told this strange man to watch her while he went to Mrs. Montez. _

_Gabriella was extremely confused as to the morning's events. She had been sitting in her mother's lap, when suddenly Gabriella felt something wet creep through her mother's skirt. Jumping up in disgust, she accused her mother of peeing on her. And then the scariest thing possible for a five year-old happened; Her mother began screaming for an ambulance._

_Gabriella began to cry as she thought about everything that had happened. Her mom, her role model, was in pain somewhere in this building. And Gabriella couldn't go to her, to make sure she was okay; and it painful to have to sit here and do nothing. Couldn't she help? Why was she deemed useless?_

_The young child jumped when beeping and yelling suddenly rang out from a nearby hallway. Wrapping her arms around her trembling body, Gabi held her knees to her chest and began to sob. Doctor's were swarming into the waiting room, rushing into the hallway; the source of the noise. Everything was a blur for the small child, and she wanted more than anything to just see her mom. To be held until her tears stopped. She wanted her dad, she wanted him to wipe away her tears, like always. To tell her it will all be okay._

_But that just wasn't possible. She was completely alone, with only a stranger to keep her company._

_The stranger seemed to take no note of Gabriella's tears. He just watched the doctors intently, as if willing them to talk to him. Finally, he stood and stopped one of the doctors. "What's going on?!"_

"_We have a code blue." Said the doctor shortly, before returning to the hallway. Gabriella watched the stranger as he stood in the middle of the room, a distant look on his face. He looked sad. _

"_What does code blue mean?" Asked Gabriella. The stranger looked at her, his brows furrowed._

"_It means someone's heart has stopped beating." He replied, not wanting to elaborate. This however, seemed to satisfy the child. She nodded and climbed back onto the seat, obviously not understanding what that meant. _

_And that was the moment that a tear streaked Mr. Montez chose to walk into the room. He slowly walked over to his child, and bent down to her level. "Gabi? You know how your mommy and I said you were going to have a little sister?" Gabriella nodded, and Mr. Montez continued, his voice cracking. "Well, your little sister decided she wanted to go to the sky. She wanted to live in the stars." Gabriella's big brown eyes were swimming with tears. _

"_Didn't she like us? Why did she want to leave?" She asked. Mr. Montez blinked back his own tears at how innocent she sounded._

"_She loves us very much. It just wasn't the right time for her to be here." Gabriella nodded, her lip quivering. She wasn't even sure why she was crying, all she knew was that her daddy, her rock, was crying. She had never seen him cry before, and it scared her._

_The stranger put a hand on Mr. Montez's shoulder and watched him sympathetically. "Could you… Do you want to tell me what happened?" Mr. Montez returned to his full height and faced the stranger._

"_Grace Lily Montez was a still born." He began, obviously pained to say this. "Apparently, something happened to Maria's reproductive system after Gabriella was born, and it caused the baby to be undeveloped." Mr. Montez bit his lip, attempting to be strong for his daughter, but failing miserable. The stranger patted his back sympathetically. "Owen… I can't stand this. One of my daughters is dead!" He choked out._

_Gabriella slid out of her chair and wrapped her arms around her fathers legs. Smiling through his tears, Mr. Montez bent down to her level and hugged his child, burying his face in her hair. _

"_You still have me, daddy." Whispered Gabriella. Mr. Montez nodded._

"_And I always will."_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_---------------------_

_In your eyes, _

_I'm self centered._

_I care about nothing but myself._

_I don't care about you._

_-------------------_

I leaned my head against the cool glass of the car window, my head pounding. I watched as the world zoomed by, and I almost felt happy. Happy that I could leave everything behind.

I was going to leave behind my reputation, my unfaithful boyfriend (don't ask), my bitchy backstabbing friends with unusually high-pitched voices. Maybe the whole moving thing wasn't going to be that bad.

My mom looked back at me, giving me a hateful glare for what must have been the 5th time in the last 10 minutes. I returned the stare coolly, attempting to not look intimidated, even though she scared the hell out of me.

You might be wondering what I did this time. Truth be told, it was my fault that we were moving. My dad hadn't wanted to deal with the gossip about their drink-and-drive daughter, and so instead of sticking by me, they decided to run away. Of course. We just continued to glare at each other for a few minutes before she finally looked away.

With a triumphant smirk, I returned my gaze to the window just in time to see the "Now Entering Albuquerque" sign. I had to admit, so far the place was pretty nice. There were rows and rows of nice houses and perfectly manicured lawns, complete with the perfect older couples who tended them. An assortment of nice cars occupied the driveways, and the ones that didn't have a car were occupied by three kids and a basketball hoop.

Turning at Johnston St., I spotted a group of kids. Actually they were pretty hard to miss, seeing as one of them had a gigantic afro. I coolly surveyed them, trying to fit them into which category they would belong in when we got to school. One's head was buried in a textbook, her dark curly hair spilling over the pages; obviously belonging in the nerd category. Don't get me wrong, I love nerds. Behind all the makeup, miniskirts, alcohol, and drugs, there was a girl who just wanted to curl on my bed and do my homework.

There was another, a girl, wearing hot pink, who was having a heated argument with afro man. Much to my dismay, she was a blonde. Yech. Another dude, obviously the blonde's brother, was practically dancing down the street, pink hat and all.

Giggling softly, I looked at the last person in the group. To my surprise, the blonde, cerulean eyed boy was staring right back at me. He stopped in the middle of the street, causing his friends to run into him; All the while staring at me, his mouth slightly open. I smiled and gave an awkward little wave. Blushing, he grinned right back and winked, before returning his attention to his friends who were now yelling at him for stopping.

Still smiling, I looked to the front of the car to find my parents had stopped the car and were both glaring at me. I gave them a questioning look, causing them to roll their eyes and start the car back up.

I was actually happy there for a second. And now I feel like a dumbass. Thank you parents.

I stared back out at the street, the group of friends were gone. Sighing, I once again leaned against the cold glass, letting the coolness against my skin calm me down. Maybe this whole fresh start was exactly what I needed.

"We're here. Get out." Commanded my dad from the front seat, breaking me from my reverie. I rolled my eyes at him before scrambling out of the car and leaning on my crutches. I made my way, slowly, very slowly, up the concrete steps, but not before spying a balcony on the right side of the house. With every ounce of strength I had left, I dragged myself up the stairs and into the balcony room.

The room was a soft peach color, with white French doors leading onto the balcony. Not to mention the tree that was right outside my balcony. I knew that if Alicia was here, she would be saying something along the lines of "It's a perfect way to sneak out.". Not that I care.

I opened the balcony doors and stepped outside. Leaning against the railing, I closed my eyes and let the blow through my air. It was peaceful out there, with the leaves rustling in the wind, the sun shining lazily. And for the first time in a very long time, I forgot all my problems. I forgot about my parents, and the hell I was living in.

I was on top of the world.

_-----------------------_

_In your eyes,_

_I'm not the perfect child._

_I'm the failure._

_I'm the rebel._

_---------------------_

Nervously, I hitched my bag up on my shoulder, scanning the student population that surrounded me. The students didn't seem to care what I looked like, or whether I was hot or not; VERY different from my old school, where you were instantly shunned if you had even the smallest zit. For once, I was actually enjoying not being in the spotlight.

Pulling my schedule out, I looked over my classes. It seemed I had homeroom with someone named Ms. Darbus. Fantastic. Hitching my bag up one last time, I started to weave my way through sea of students. After being jostled and pushed, I finally found my self in the center of the hallway. Alone.

Every single student had left in the span of… 5 seconds. I was just wondering why, when the bell rang.

"Shit." I muttered, and ran as fast as I could down the hallway, considering I was on crutches. Next thing I knew, I was writhing in pain on the ground. "Fuck! My leg!" I cried out in pain. I could hear the guy apologizing profusely as he helped me up. I stood on my crutches with my eyes shut tightly, waiting out the pain. When it finally subsided I opened my eyes… To find the afro man from the street last week.

He stuck out his hand. "I'm Chad Danforth, the idiot who knocks people down when they are already in a cast." He told me with a sheepish grin. I smiled at him and shook his hand.

"Gabriella Montez, the klutz who runs into people and kills her already broken leg." I responded, grinning back at him. Suddenly, homeroom wasn't so important anymore. Without a thought, Chad took my books and carried them as we advanced down the hall.

"So, what's your homeroom?" He asked.

"Darbus. I can already tell I don't like her." Chad burst out laughing, and I hit his arm playfully. "Glad you find my life amusing, Mr. Danforth!" He instantly stopped laughing when I called him by his last name, and started to pout.

"Anything but the last name, Gabi. Anything but that!" I literally gasped when he called me Gabi. The last time I had been called Gabi was right before Grace died, and it had been my father who had said it. It sounded nice to hear someone call me that again.

Chad however, instantly start apologizing. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know you didn't want to be called that, I just thought maybe that's what your friends called you or someth--" I Pressed my hand to his mouth, laughing uncontrollably.

"Chad. It's totally fine. I just… I just haven't been called that in a while." He nodded, and we returned to talking about random things. He was telling me about his friends and how things worked at East High, while I told him about my ex-boyfriend and my old friends. The conversation was going fairly well until…

"What are your parents like?" I just blinked at him before returning my attention to the floor, wondering how my parents still managed to ruin my day without even being here.

"Their okay." I lied. "You know, their just regular parents." I looked up at him, hoping Chad had bought the lie. Sure enough, he did. Nodding, he lead me into a classroom. At our entrance, an older woman who must be Ms. Darbus, looked up and groaned.

"And to what do we owe this pleasure, Mr. Danforth?" She said sarcastically.

"Oh, so that's why you don't like being called by your last name." I whispered teasingly in his ear. He shot me a playful glare before looking back at the waiting teacher.

"I was helping out Ms. Montez over here. She's new." He stated. Suddenly, the entire classroom was looking at me. Blushing, I smiled awkwardly and stared pointedly at the floor. An awkward silence settled over the classroom, broken by somebody woof-whistling. I looked up, offended, and the entire classroom proceeded to point at a guy in the back. He looked me over, his eyes lingering at my breasts.

"Keep your eyes in your head." I snapped. The students all burst out laughing while the guy glared at me coldly. I turned to Ms. Darbus, putting on my this-smile-is-reserved-for-adults-who-are-not-my-parents smile. "You must be Ms. Darbus."

She nodded and smiled, obviously amused by how I had handled myself. She gestured for me to take a seat, so I chose one behind a guy with blonde hair and cerulean eyes. Wait, doesn't that sound familiar?

An hour and twenty-five minutes later, I exited the classroom. The class had been fairly uneventful, other than the fact that every single person from the group on the street was in my homeroom. They all seemed nice enough.

I was wandering the halls when someone caught my arm. Turning around, I saw the entire group, plus a few other people, smiling at me. We stood there in silence for a few moments, before the blonde guy with the pink hat spoke.

"Hi! I'm Ryan." He said brightly. I couldn't help but smile at how cheerful he was. It was pretty contagious.

"I'm Gabriella--"

"Montez." Finished the textbook girl with a smile. "Beginning of class, remember?" I nodded and returned the smile. "So… Since your new and all, we were wondering if you'd like to sit with us?" I nodded again, this time with more enthusiasm.

The guy with the blue eyes stepped forward stuck out his hand, reminding me immensely of Chad. "Troy. Troy Bolton." I blushed under the same intense gaze I was met with last week, and looked down as I shook his hand. I was just beginning to realize how gorgeous he really was.

_------------------_

_In your eyes,_

_I will never compare._

_I will never live up to you,_

_And your perfect childhood._

_I will never be the perfect child._

_------------------_

Lunch that day was one of the most fun times of my life. We were all laughing and joking with each other, they were all asking questions about Augusta and such. I ended up sitting next to cerulean boy, a.k.a. Troy, and the entire time the gang was telling me I had to get together with him. I swear to god, I'm going to be permanently red if I hang around these guys much longer. But I'm willing to risk it.

Also, I had learned everyone's names. Sharpay was the blonde who actually didn't act that blonde, **(A/N: No offense guys, I'm blonde too!) **Kelsi was the petite brunette, Taylor was the textbook girl, Jason was the guy who always fell asleep in class, and Zeke was the guy who had a secret passion for cooking and Sharpay. Let's not forget Chad and Ryan either…

Oh, and Troy. Troy Bolton. Troy is amazing, did I mention that? Well he is. His amazing smile that makes me go weak in the knees, his amazing eyes that I get lost in every time I see them, his amazing body that you can't help but appreciate, his flawless features that look amazing every time you see them.

The only downside was that he was the captain of the basketball team. Troy plus basketball captain equals MAJOR popularity. East high isn't that different from my school. And since he is practically a god in East High, there are hundreds of skinny, blonde, gorgeous girl for him to pick from. There was no chance he would pick someone as ugly or bitchy as me. I mean, come on, my parents don't even love me. Why would a guy like him ever even think about a girl like me?

-

-

"You are the music in me…" I sang softly as I padded down the carpet of our hallway. Suddenly, a sound stopped me in my tracks. It was a gentle sobbing, coming from my parents room.

Cautiously, I stuck my head in their room. And there was something I thought I'd never see; my mother curled up in a ball, crying her eyes out. I stood there, in shock, and confused. I didn't know what to do. Qhy should I comfort her when she hasn't comforted me for the last 12 years? Why should I be there for her when she wasn't there for me?

Despite my inner battle, I spoke softly. "Mom? Are you okay?" She looked up, her eyes red from crying. She was so vulnerable; there was no mask to hide her emotions. It was just all out there, and it scared me. But that wasn't what concerned me. It was what she was holding.

A picture of Grace.

Silently, she set the picture of Grace back onto the night table, her back to me. "You don't know how I felt, when the doctors told me Grace was dead. I thought I would never get through it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how lucky I was. I had you, didn't I? I had your father, didn't I? Sure, it was a rough patch, but we would get through it."

"But then… The doctor told me why Grace was born dead." She turned to me, her face a mask of coolness yet again. "It was you." She whispered harshly. "It was all your fucking fault. Because you know what they told me? She had been undeveloped because you took such a toll on my body. It's all your fucking fault that we don't have Grace, and we only have _you." _As she spat the last word, her eyes were swimming with hate.

And the part that hurt the most, the part that killed every hope I had, was that I recognized that hate was for me. My mother hated me. She hated me because I was born.

**A/N: Aww. That was sad. But that chapter did not come out how I wanted it to AT ALL. oh well. so, do you think things are going to get better for Gabriella and her parents? or way worse?**

** btw, 10 reviews gets the next chapter:)  
**


	3. Don't Cry

**OMG! Okay, so you guys, I made a trailer for this story. And it is amazing. Seriously. Okay, maybe not amazing, but the link is in my profile. Before you read this chapter, or after, or whatever, you need to look at it. Kay? Kay.**

**Heres the chapter!**

_15 year-old Gabriella Montez stared blankly at her friend before bursting out laughing. "Oh my god, you actually had me going there for a second! 'You don't spend enough time with us.'. Hilarious!" Gabriella giggled, poking her friend Janet in the ribs. Janet took a deep breath before swatting away Gabriella's hand and turning to face her best friend._

"_I'm serious. You spend all your time with the druggie popular people now." She said, angrier than intended. Gabriella instantly stopped laughing and shook her head at her friend._

"_I don't spend all my time with them. And for the last time, they're not druggies!" Gabriella added angrily, pouting her perfect glossed lips. Janet sighed and twirled her auburn hair on one finger, knowing she was never going to win._

"_Fine. You made your choice. Remember that when you go to the party tonight. Don't expect me to pick you up when you're drunk and stranded." Said Janet coldly, before side-stepping Gabriella and disappearing into the house behind her. Gabriella bit her lip, trying not to pay attention to the fact that her best friend had decided to dump her._

_With a sigh, she headed down and out her ex-best friend's driveway and headed home._

"_Don't cry." Gabriella whispered to herself. It was almost instinct now to say that, to reassure herself that it would be okay, because apparently no one else would._

_Upon arriving at the party, Gabriella could tell something was different. The air in the house was so thick, you could cut it with a knife;. Not to mention there was no one in sight. Sighing, she weaved her way through the overturned furniture, searching for some sign of human life. Coughing, she passed through a cloud of smoke coming from the bedroom._

_Were they doing what she thought they were--_

"_Gabriella! You look so pretty in that dress! Where did you get it? C'mon Gabi, tell me where you got it! Gabs, why aren't you telling me? Did I do something wrong? Gabriella, talk to me!" Gabriella stared at Alicia, amazed all that had come out in a single breath. Suddenly, Alicia fell over, collapsing into a fit of laughter. Gabriella stared at her in disbelief, until the wheels clicked in Gabriella's mind; the smoke, the hyperness, the giggling, the smell. They were doing drugs. Gabriella bit her lip, suddenly uncomfortable with the situation. Jake was smiling at her like she was the best thing in the world, Alicia was still laughing, Alexis was drawing little circles on the wall with her finger, and Warren was just staring at the wall. Jake waved her over, and although she would have rather to be anywhere but there, Gabriella obliged and made a place for herself between Alexis and Warren. _

"_So, Gabriella… Have you had a joint before?" Gabriella shook her head slowly, dreading what he would say next. "Ooh! Guys, we have a firsty!" While Alicia burst out in giggles at his joke, Jake just continued to stare at her smiling. Gabriella shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, picking at her nails self-consciously. Finally, Jake broke the stare and inhaled the joint, before handing it to a wide-eyed Gabriella._

_Opening her mouth to protest, she saw Warren shake his head about a half-inch, and gave her a piercing stare. After Gabriella gave him a questioning look, Warren turned himself so his back was to her. She rolled her eyes and scanned the three expectant pairs of eyes. Sighing, she smiled weakly before raising the joint to her mouth._

_-_

_-_

_Gabriella slowly creaked open the gate to the backyard, stumbling over the patches of grass due to her blurry vision. Unseeing, she found her way across the yard to the huge French doors leading to the Montez kitchen. It was unlocked. Astounded at her luck, she pushed her way into the darkened kitchen, immediately collapsing on the floor._

_She savored the way the cold linoleum felt on her hot skin, the way it seemed to sooth her trembling body by being pressed against the chill of the floor. She loved the way she could hide from the world, just laying there on the kitchen floor, hiding in darkness. Nothing could touch her, for she was beyond being touched. She was beyond reality. She was in her own world, the world where her parents didn't blame her for Grace's death, the world where she had a best friend, the world where drugs didn't exist._

_Gabriella groaned as she was pulled into reality by the mere act of a light switch being flipped._

"_And where the HELL have you been?!" Ms. Montez's loud voice broke Gabriella from her trance and she whipped her head around to watch her mother. She burst out giggling at her mother's robe and mussed up hair._

"_You look really funny." Gabriella told her with a laugh, earning a curious stare from her mother._

_Ms. Montez shrugged it off and glared at her daughter. "Do you know what time it is?" Without waiting for an answer, Ms. Montez continued. "It's 2 in the morning. And you come in here, slamming the door, and falling on the floor, loud as can be. Do you think of anyone but yourself? Do you think your father and I were up WAITING for you until 2 in the morning?" Gabriella pursed her lips and crossed her eyes, obviously oblivious to her mother's rant._

_Suddenly, realization dawned on the older woman. "Gabriella, are you _high_?!" If Gabriella hadn't been so out of it, she might have noticed the concern etched across her mother's face. But no, she was too busy staring blankly at the kitchen island, wondering where in the world they got that marble for the countertop._

_A sniffle from her mother's direction brought her back to reality, and Ms. Montez turned away from Gabriella to hide obvious tears. Still, Gabriella was unknowing. _

"_Please go to your room." Came Ms. Montez's muffled voice came, and Gabriella, thinking nothing of it, willingly stood and made her way out of the kitchen, disregarding the gentle sobs that echoed behind her._

"_I've actually lost her. My baby girl." Ms. Montez whispered, before making her way upstairs to her waiting husband._

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_--------------------------------_

_In your eyes,_

_I'll be sitting alone when I'm old;_

_No one to die with._

_Because I'm the bitch._

_The criminal._

_------------------------------_

Gabriella was paying absolutely no attention to the muscular jock in front of her; his mouth was certainly moving, but Gabriella's attention was somewhere over his shoulder. He stopped talking, finally noticing her lack of focus. He turned, searching for what could possibly be more interesting than him; all he saw was the captain of the basketball team chatting up some cheerleader. He snapped his finger next to Gabriella's face, pulling her out of her reverie. She looked at him blankly for a moment, before realization dawned.

"Oh gosh, I am so sorry. I'm really out of it today. What were you saying?"

He shrugged it off, and smiled at her. "I was just asking you to go to dinner sometime." She snapped her head towards him, eyes wide.

"U-uh… I don't think I c-can. S-sorry." She stammered, looking back and forth between him and the basketball captain, who was now obviously eavesdropping on their conversation. Gabriella looked really uncomfortable, and although he was sore about being rejected, the guy decided to play the nice guy routine.

"That's fine. Don't worry about it. I'm Brett, by the way." He told her, holding out his hand. She tucked a curl behind her ear and smiled gratefully at him, shaking his hand.

"I really am sorry. It's just… I have a boyfriend." Brett bit his lip, knowing this was not true, while Gabriella inwardly beat herself up for telling him something like that.

"Oh, and who might that be?" Brett asked, his tone turning slightly icy. Gabriella cringed at his tone and glanced at Troy pleadingly. As if on cue, Troy stepped over to them and slid an arm around her waist. Gabriella had to suppress a shiver of delight at his touch, and turned to smile sweetly at Brett.

"That would be me." Said Troy, in the deepest, masculine voice he could muster. Gabriella suppressed a giggle and bit her lip, turning her gaze to the lockers to the left of Brett. Brett opened his mouth to say something, before deciding against it and closing it again. After a few moments of awkward silence, Troy smiled at Brett. "That's your cue to walk away."

Brett glared at Troy briefly before walking away, kicking Gabriella's bag on the way out.

**Gabi's POV**

I frowned as I felt Troy's arm slip from my waist, but quickly covered my disappointment with a smile. I turned to him, almost melting on the spot when my brown eyes met his blue. "Thanks." I said softly.

He shrugged. "It was nothing. I was just helping a friend." It felt like a blow to the chest when he said those words, but I shrugged it off. To my surprise, he suddenly took my hand and began to lead me down the hallway. I took in the way his hand fit perfectly over mine, the way his surprisingly soft skin felt.

"Do you use lotion?" I teased, smiling cheekily at him.

"Ha ha, funny." Troy said dryly, but grinned at me anyway.

Several hallways, shortcuts, and stairways later, Troy suddenly stopped in front of a set of big, white metal doors, causing me to step on the back of his shoe. Being the nice guy he was, he waved away my apologies as he slipped his van back onto his foot.

Troy took my hand yet again, and pushed open the doors, leading the way up the metal stairs.

"Oh, Troy… It's beautiful." I breathed, looking out over the landscape and sighing at the beauty of it. We had emerged into a beautiful little rooftop balcony, complete with potted plants, a bench, and an incredible view of the wonder that was Albuquerque, New Mexico. He gently pulled me towards the bench, beckoning for me to sit down. I gingerly sat on one side of the old bench, afraid it would just collapse underneath me.

Noticing my uneasiness, Troy laughed. "Don't worry about it. That bench has been through plenty, it's not about to fail on me now." I smiled softly at him and relaxed a bit more on the bench. He sat down next to me, casually draping an arm around my shoulders and grinning cheekily at me.

"Making moves on me, are we Bolton?" I joked, squealing when he poked me in the ribs. Laughing at my reaction, he poked me again, only to receive a similar squeal. Several pokes later, I finally grabbed his hands, and mock-sternly said, "Troy Bolton. That's enough." My heart melted, yet again, as he pouted and made puppy dog eyes.

Suddenly, everything was a blur as he tackled me off the bench and began to tickle me mercilessly. Giggling uncontrollably, I attempted to swat away his hands. He just smiled at my attempts and tickled me harder.

Finally, I managed to sit up by biting his hand. He yelped and jumped back, glaring playfully. I shrugged innocently.

And for that few moments before the bell rang, we just sat there, smiling like idiots at each other, just soaking in each other's company. We jumped as the bell rang out, and Troy grabbed my arm, literally pulling me down the stairs. "Troy! What's up with the running?"

Troy looked back at me and grinned for a moment. "You do NOT want to be late for Ms. Darbus." I nodded solemnly, and we both simultaneously burst out laughing.

Warren who?

-

-

-

"And then she said, 'Sorry, I've got a boyfriend.' And just left! How stupid is that?!" Everyone burst out laughing at Chad's "sob story", knowing it was similar to the stunt I had pulled earlier. Not to mention Chad was completely oblivious of the fact that the girl had rejected him for a reason that had nothing to do with a boyfriend.

Smiling, I looked over the group, memorizing the way each of them laughed, the way Chad's hair bounced, the way Taylor's eyes crinkled when she smiled, the way Sharpay's tinkling laugh rang in your ears minutes after it was actually left her mouth. The way the light looked as it hit Troy's face, highlighting his flawless features and lighting up his cerulean eyes… Wait, what am I saying?

I blinked stupidly as Taylor waved her hand in front of my face. "You still with us, Gabs?" I laughed and nodded, before an idea popped into my mind.

"How about we go to my house?" I regretted it the moment the words left my mouth; I hadn't brought a friend home for at least five years, much less 8 of them. But, of course, everyone nodded excitedly and picked themselves off random pieces of Zeke's furniture. This should be interesting.

Twenty minutes later, we arrived in front of my tan house. I took a deep breath and stared up at it, already intimidated about what I would find inside. Waiting patiently for me by the front door, the gang motioned for me to unlock the house. Taking one last cleansing breath, I took the key out of the lock and opened the door.

I told the gang to stay outside for a moment while I searched for my mother to let her know about the company. I found her in the parlor.

"Um, Mom?" I asked quietly. Her head remained hidden behind a copy of_People_, not bothering to look at me. Biting my lip, I tried again. "Mom? You going to talk to me?"

Finally, she threw her magazine down and raised an eyebrow, silently signaling for me to talk.

"I have some friends here. Just thought you would want to know…" I trailed off, jumping slightly when she laughed coldly.

"Never thought I'd hear the words 'I' and 'friends' come out of your mouth in the same sentence." That definitely felt like a slap to the face. I licked my lips and started backing towards the door. I really couldn't deal with her snide comments today, not the one day that I was finally happy.

"I'm just going to g--"

"I'm not done." She said slowly, cocking her head to one side. "No one sleeps over, got it? I already have to deal with you, I don't want to have to deal with another one of your druggie friends." My jaw dropped and I stared at her incredulously.

"Their not druggies. Seriously. They wouldn't do that kind of thing…" I trailed off again, remembering the last time I had said that. I had most definitely been wrong. I bit my lip again and avoided my mother's piercing gaze.

"I honestly don't care if they are or not. I really don't. Go and get your friends, and bring them to your room. No loud talking. No going out of the room until they leave. Got it?" Without waiting for an answer, she picked up her magazine and re-hid her face behind it. I swallowed, forcing down the tears that had come to my eyes.

"Don't cry." I whispered as I left the room and went to fetch my friends.

:) So was that okay? was it too fast? I tried to make her mom a little more human in the flashback, and I'm not sure if i succeeded. Okay, review time! 10 reviews brings the next chapter!


	4. A Pretty Cool Mom

A/N: OMG! So, Zac was recently seen holding an HSM 3 script! Isn't that amazing?!?!? Lol. Well, it amazes me. Anyways, heres the chapter.

_"I'm sorry, daddy." Whispered a 13 year-old Gabriella, tears evident in her large, chocolate-colored eyes. _

_Mr. Montez towered over her, his fist opening and closing as he stood over his trembling daughter, as though contemplating to hit her. Gabriella flicked her gaze back and forth between his face and his fist, beginning to dread what he might do next. She could see a fire blazing behind his eyes. And yet, a sadness lingered behind those dark brown orbs. As though all traces of happiness had faded, all signs of the joy that those eyes once held, gone. Slipped away._

_Gabriella unsuccessfully attempted to stifle a sob, her tears now flowing freely as Mr. Montez advanced on his daughter. "Daddy! Please don't, I didn't mean to!" Her plea must have had an effect on her father, as an emotion quickly flashed through his eyes; regret._

_But then it was gone. It was only a glimpse, only a flash, of what her father might be feeling. He did, however, back up a few steps and collapse onto the sofa, holding his head in his hands. "I'm sorry, Ella." Mr. Montez whispered almost inaudibly._

_He lifted his head and turned to watch her, a distant look on his face. The usually soft brown eyes, hard and calculating. Although he obviously wasn't going to hit her at this point, this mood and expression of her father's scared her more. The way his eyes held no emotion, and yet could make her feel like it was all her fault anyways. _

_Gabriella had never seen her father like this. Ever. She was shaking just thinking about that blazing look in his eyes, and the way his fist had curled and uncurled. The way he was just twitching to her hurt her. His only daughter._

_The whole fight had started with a phone call; just one phone call. One phone call that, although she didn't know it now, would change their relationship forever. Just one phone call, that was all it took to make home a living hell for one girl. But of course, she didn't know that yet. But oh, how she would find out._

_Gabriella returned her father's stare with a pleading, apologetic one of her own, until footsteps down the stairs awoke them both from their reverie. Ms. Montez appeared in the doorway, a curious expression gracing the flawless features Gabriella had inherited._

"_I heard yelling…" She said slowly, looking back and forth between her husband and daughter. Wordlessly, Mr. Montez stood and strode over to the phone. He beckoned Ms. Montez, and pressed the blinking message button._

"_Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Montez. This is Fred Jones, your temporary lawyer. I have called to, unfortunately, inform you that Juan Montez, Olivia Montez, John Larson, and Sarah Larson have filed a civil court case to severe ties with you. They have issued a statement that is the following. 'We are horrified and disgraced by their actions, and believe that our son and daughter have made a terrible choice. We do not wish to include them or their daughter in our lives.' I'm sincerely sorry about your loss. Have a good evening." Ms. Montez stood there staring at the phone in disbelief, before collapsing into her husband's arms, sobbing._

_Gabriella felt her own tears rise to her eyes; it was her fault that her grandparents had disowned them. It was her fault that her mother was crying in her father's arms. How she wanted to go to her bedroom and hide from her mother's tears, but her feet just wouldn't move. She was rooted to the spot._

_Ms. Montez gently released herself from her husband's arms, before whirling on her daughter. "What did you do? Why did you look for them?" Gabriella shrunk back from her harsh tone, lip quivering._

"_I didn't." Said Gabriella. "I had no reason to." Her voice was soft, and Ms. Montez had to lean in to hear it._

"_Well how else would they find out about you?!" Ms. Montez continued without waiting for an answer. "My parents disowned me. I hope your happy." Gabriella looked down at her shoes, eyes swimming with tears. Her mother had never spoken to her like that before, and it was definitely hurting the young child._

_A streak of boldness plummeted into Gabriella's heart, and she looked up at her mother defiantly. "Mom, you are being insane. I had absolutely no reason to try and find them, so blaming me isn't going to make the problem go away. I. Didn't. Do. Anything." Ms. Montez then did something extremely unexpected; She reached out and slapped her only daughter._

_Bursting into tears, Ms. Montez jerked her hand away and clapped it over her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Gabi." She whispered, before running into her bedroom and slamming the door behind her._

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_------------------_

_In your eyes,_

_I'm the bitchy girl,_

_Who gives you headaches,_

_Gives you problems._

-------------------

Gabriella raised her hand to her cheek, imitating her actions seconds after her mother had actually slapped her. Tears rose to her eyes as she remembered the incident. It hadn't been her fault whatsoever, and it killed her inside. The distressed teenager leaned against the cool wood of the front door, savoring the silence of the foyer.

An impatient knock on the door brought her out of her reverie with a yelp. She jumped back from the door, realizing she had completely forgotten her friends. Gabriella slowly opened the door, bracing herself for what might happen in the house.

Upon opening the door, the gang almost trampled Gabriella in their rush into the foyer. After the entire gang had "filed" into the room, Gabriella took a deep breath and lead the way up to her room.

"Oh my gosh, Gabi, your room is so CUTE!" Squealed Sharpay as she clicked her way to the room in 7-inch stilettos. Gabriella just grinned at her and motioned for everyone to make themselves comfortable.

Chad flopped down on her computer chair and began to check his email, while the rest plopped down on the floor and bed. Gabriella herself was sprawled out on the floor, making herself comfortable against Troy's legs. The gang just held in their smiles as the pair began to animatedly to each other.

"I have an idea!" Sharpay said suddenly, interrupting Gabi and Troy's conversation. "Let's play truth or dare." Taylor's eyes widened; the last time she had played truth or dare with Sharpay had ended in her giving Chad a lap dance. Not to mention the fact Chad actually enjoyed it.

Gabriella gave Sharpay a what-are-you-doing look, while Sharpay just smiled back innocently. "So, I'm going to go first. Hmm… Jason!" Jason, who had been falling asleep at the moment, jerked into consciousness at the sound of his name. Groaning, he turned towards Sharpay and nodded wearily.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Jason moaned burying his head in Gabriella's pillow. The whole group rolled their eyes and sweet, innocent Kelsi even pinched him for being an idiot.

"Truth or dare, oh intelligent one." Sharpay told him in an annoyed voice.

"Oh. Um, dare?"

Although Sharpay was sure to make the game interesting, Gabriella was most definitely lost in another world. She was thinking about what her mom had said during their earlier bout. Could it be true? Could her friends really be druggies? She definitely doubted it as she looked around the group of friends, everyone smiling and laughing. But then again, she'd been wrong before, hadn't she?

Janet had warned her about the popular group, and yet Gabriella had still gone with what she wanted to believe and had gotten high. Which, unbeknownst to Gabriella, had just set her and her parent's relationship back further. She didn't want to relive the experience of walking into the "party" just to find her best friends getting high. Gabriella, at this point, just wanted to hide from the possibility of these new friends to be druggies. They had taken her under their wing, and they almost seemed too good to be true. Troy included.

Troy, noticing the faraway expression on Gabriella's face, reached down and gently tapped her on the shoulder. "What are you thinking about?" He whispered, carefully scooting his legs out from behind her and sliding down the bed to sit beside her. Gabriella offered him a small smile and leaned back against the wooden frame of her bed.

"Just… Stuff. Life I guess." She replied tiredly, briefly closing her eyes and enjoying the closeness of his body.

Realizing she didn't want him to press the subject, Troy nudged her pointed to something behind her. "Wow, Sharpay really has no mercy."

Gabi opened her eyes and squealed at the sight in front of her. Jason and Kelsi broke apart at the sound, blushing heavily and looking anywhere but their previous kissing buddy. Sharpay playfully glared at Gabriella.

"Look what you did!" She scolded. Gabriella rolled her eyes playfully.

"Whatever. So, who's turn is it?"

"TROY'S!" Cried Sharpay excitedly. Troy gave Sharpay a look that Gabriella couldn't quite decipher, but she shrugged it off. "Oh, come off it Troy. Truth or dare?" Sharpay asked. Troy was slowly turning a fire-engine red, and Sharpay's grin was widening. Even Chad, who had been sucked into Youtube for the last ten minutes, was watching intently.

"Truth." Said Troy instantly, which was met with cries of, "Be a man!" or, "Geez Troy is such a wussy." Groaning, Troy finally looked Sharpay in the face and said, "Fine. I pick dare."

Sharpay smiled. "Fine. I dare you to strip down to your boxers right in front of Gabriella." Gabriella turned beet-red and shook her head furiously, all the while shooting Sharpay death looks. Troy opened and closed his mouth like a fish, before succumbing to his friends and standing up. Zeke even started blasting Avril Lavigne from Gabriella's iHome.

He stood in front of a furiously blushing Gabriella and began to slowly lift his shirt to the cheers and cries of their friends. Gabriella couldn't help but stare in awe at what was underneath. Man, he was RIPPED! Giggling nervously, she glanced at Sharpay and Taylor pleadingly.

Next, an embarrassed Troy began sliding down his basketball shorts. Gabriella refused to look. Troy was just slipping out of his shorts before the door slammed over, getting a scream out of the girls.

"What the fuck is going on in here?!" Screamed Ms. Montez, storming into the room and unplugging the iHome. "I said nothing loud! And why the HELL is he in his underwear?" She screeched, pointing at Troy who was scrambling to get his clothes back on. Surprisingly, Gabriella stayed completely calm.

"We were playing truth or dare. Sorry for being loud." Said Gabriella dully, hoping she was coming off as uninterested as she played with her nails.

Ms. Montez pressed her lips together while slowly turning a crimson red. However, instead of bursting out in screams, she seemed to realize the friends were there. In a much calmer voice she said, "That's okay honey. Just make sure you guys keep your clothes on in the future." She gave an obviously (to Gabriella) forced laugh and exited the room.

"Your mom was actually pretty cool about it. My mom would have slit my throat." Taylor commented, turning to look at her friend. Gabriella shrugged.

"She's a pretty cool mom." She lied. Chad, who seemed to have lost interest in the situation, had returned to the computer. The room sat in silence for a few minutes before Chad spoke up.

"So… I have one. Gabriella, truth or dare." He said, still staring at the computer screen.

"Truth." Gabriella answered as Troy slipped on his shirt and returned to his seat beside her.

"What the hell is this?"

Dreading what she might find on the computer screen, Gabriella followed the others to the desk. She gulped as she recognized the piece of writing. "Oh that… it's nothing."

" 'In your eyes, I'm not the perfect child. I'm the failure. I'm the rebel.' How is that nothing?! Gabriella, care to tell me what is going on?" Chad said, almost angrily, as he twirled the seat to face a scared Gabriella. Eyes wide, she shook her head nervously and scoured her brain for an excuse.

"My cousin is having trouble with her parents, and she sent me that poem. That's all it is, I swear." Gabriella lied nervously. Chad watched her for a moment, obviously unconvinced, before sighing and nodding.

"If you say so…" He trailed off uncertainly. The entire gang, save Troy and Chad, nodded understandingly.

"Poor girl."

"That's too bad."

Gabriella nodded in agreement and decided in her mind to avoid Troy and Chad for the rest of the night. Troy looked at her questioningly, and she shrugged before strutting back into the center of the room, the girls in tow. "Who wants to play more truth or dare?"

-

-

**Gabi's POV**

The cold night air whipped around me as I leaned on the balcony railing, my eyes closed. The stars were starting to come out and I had decided to come out and enjoy them while my friends played truth or dare inside. I shivered as another gust of cold wind hit me.

Suddenly, warmness washed over me as I felt a jacket come over my shoulders. Already knowing who it was, I kept my eyes closed and smiled up at the sky, as if in a silent thank you. I heard the creak of the bench as Troy sat down, and I decided to join him.

A comfortable silence settled over the both of us, and we just sat back, soaking in each others company and looking up at the stars.

"Was that poem really about your cousin's parents?" Asked Troy quietly after a few minutes. I bit my lip and leaned back on the bench, letting my back graze the olden wood. I contemplated whether or not to answer before finally answering.

"No." I whispered back.

I had never wanted the sympathy or pity of anyone, so I had never confided. But now, I was starting to realize that what I really needed, was someone to confide in. Just that fact alone was actually beginning to break down those walls I built so many years ago.

Troy looked at me, unsurprised. "Why?"

And as he said that, just that single word, I felt my walls crumble completely. I felt like a child again, scared and alone, just wanting to be embraced until my tears stopped.

"I don't know." I whimpered, my lip quivering, tears threatening to fall. I felt him wrap his arms around me and I quietly sobbed into his chest. My tears just kept coming, and there was nothing I could do to stop them. Thought swirled about in my head, thoughts of my mother and father. How nothing I did was right. How the fact they didn't have parents that loved them was my fault. Just that thought made me start to sob harder, and Troy held me tighter.

Maybe I had once felt like my world was crashing down around me, but now that I was in Troy's arms, maybe it would all be alright.

A/N: Hurray! Another chapter done! 10 reviews gets the next chapter. you know what to do.


	5. 2 In the morning

**Sorry I took like, forever on getting this chapter out. I really haven't gotten the time, until today that is. Im sick, so I guess that gave me time. Lol. Anyways, enjoy!**

**Also, go check out the trailer to this story! The link is in my profile!**

**(By the way, if you haven't seen the pics of Zac and Vanessa at the hsm2 dvd premiere, you have got to. They are so adorable! The pair is even wearing matching leather jackets! Very cute. :D )**

_A 14 year-old Gabriella Montez stood, shivering, in the middle of the darkened street. Rain poured down around her, chilling her to the bone as she squinted down the street. No one was there._

_Finally, Gabriella began to walk, taking one shaky step after another. Every step was breaking her heart inside, and soon her tears were mixing with the rain. She didn't care though, her mind was numb and she was completely incapable of any coherent thought. Her legs just swept her away, taking her god knows where. But Gabriella didn't care. All she cared about was being as far away from home as possible._

_A worn green striped backpack was on her back, full of clothes and food she had stolen from the pantry. The summer dress she had worn for her earlier date with Warren was now clinging to her petite body, the white fabric leaving nothing to the imagination. _

_Gabriella had been anticipating this date with Warren for the longest time; they had been dating for almost a year and this would be the first time they actually went on a date! Janet had even come early to help her get ready even though Janet refused to even go near Warren, claiming he was a stupid jerky jock who should go die. Of course, of this Gabriella had no idea because Janet wouldn't dare say that in front of her._

_After getting her hair curled and makeup done to perfection, Gabriella had been ready for the date. Warren had arrived to pick her up… and brought her to a bar. _

"_We're only fourteen!" Gabriella had exclaimed. Warren just shook his head at her._

"_So? Loosen up, won't you? I'm tired of hearing all this shit about how we're too young to drink, too young to have sex. I'm just tired of it!" Gabriella stared at Warren after his little speech._

"_I thought we were going on a real date!" She cried, throwing her hands up in the air. Warren just rolled his eyes and dragged her inside._

"_Don't worry. We'll still have some fun."_

_At the time, Gabriella had had no idea whatsoever what he meant, but oh how she found out. _

_And then Gabriella had woken in the middle of the night, naked and in a bed with a sleeping Warren. Not to mention the fact she was hung-over as you could possibly get._

_Gabriella finally stopped to rest and seated herself on a stone wall next to a house. The rain wasn't receding, and neither was her pounding headache. _

_She leaned her head back, staring up into the heavens and watching the rain pour down around her. "What did I do?" She whispered, before breaking down in sob right there on the wall. Minutes later, she collected herself off the wall and stood yet again. Making her way to the tree across the street, she let herself down and leaned against the dripping bark. Slowly her eyelids slid down, and she drifted into sleep._

_-_

_-_

_HONK!_

_Gabriella screamed in surprise as her eyes shot open. She looked towards the street to see her mother's big, black SUV waiting in front of her._

_Groaning, Gabriella lifted herself off the ground and made her way to the car. She slid in beside her mother, and they just sat there for a few minutes in silence, sitting there in the middle of the night. Finally, Ms. Montez spoke._

"_Why did you leave?" Ms. Montez's voice sounded hoarse, as though she'd been crying for hours. As the older woman turned to look at her daughter, it was proved true by the running mascara on her cheeks. Slightly uncomfortable, Gabriella turned away from her mother's prying eyes and stared out the window._

"_It wasn't your fault." Gabriella said finally, exhaling against the cool glass. _

_Ms. Montez shifted in her seat so that her gaze was on the street that spread out in front of them. "I was really worried." She stated softly, her gaze hard on the open road. Gabriella turned to look at her mother in surprise. Ms. Montez glanced at her before continuing. "You know you can tell me anything… right?"_

"_Yeah, right." Gabriella scoffed, furrowing her eyebrows and shifting her weight against the car door. "Fine. You want to know what happened? My boyfriend took advantage of me. Instead of going on a date, he took me to a fucking bar! And then, of course, once I was drunk beyond belief, we had sex! Then I woke up completely naked in some trashy hotel, and you guys weren't even there when I got home! Why should you be there? I mean, it's not like you care or anything." Gabriella flushed in embarrassment for telling her mother this much._

"_Honey… I would have been there if I knew." Said Ms. Montez in a guilt-laden voice. Gabriella just turned to glare at her mother._

"_Just drive. No excuses, just drive."_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_-----------------------_

_In your eyes,_

_I'm a criminal._

_All that I do,_

_Is a crime._

_All that I do_

_Is some kind of ploy;_

_Some way to sabotage your efforts_

_To be a perfect parent._

_----------------------_

"I'm sorry." I mumbled into Troy's shirt. Troy just shook his head and rubbed my back soothingly.

"Don't worry about it, Brie." I looked up at him, smiling.

"Brie?" I asked, poking him in the -cough- muscular -cough- chest. He just stuck out his tongue at me. "Hey, don't stick your tongue out at me! That's payback for the other day!" I told him defiantly, smiling all the while.

Suddenly, Troy's laugh faded and he looked down at me seriously. "You want to tell me what's going on with you and your parents?" I pursed my lips and looked down, not really wanting to answer the question. "Hey, hey, hey… You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Troy said gently, lifting my chin with two fingers so I would have to look at him. I just smiled through my fresh set of tears.

At that point, I was starting to become acutely aware of the position we were in; my arms were wrapped around his middle, my left leg draped over his lap, and his right arm supporting my back. Whether he was aware of this or not, I didn't know. I pretended not to notice and settled further against him, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here?"

My and Troy's head whipped around… To face entire gang. Who was sitting there. With smirks on their faces. Color rushed to my face yet again, and Troy shot them a warning look.

Surprisingly, neither of us made any move to get out of our position. We just sat there, staring down the gang. Finally, Taylor broke into a grin.

"I knew you guys were going to get together!" She squealed. Troy blushed and turned away, while I blushed and looked at Taylor.

"We're not together!" I hissed, glaring playfully. She clapped a hand over her mouth and grinned sheepishly at me.

"Oops."

Chad burst out laughing. "Awkward! Nice going Taylor!" Taylor whacked him on the back of the head before the gang retreated back inside.

An awkwardness lingered in the air, and we both refused to look at each other.

"Let's go back inside." Said Troy finally. I nodded in agreement and removed my hands from his torso as we retreated inside.

"Uh, guys? It's two in the morning. You guys should probably go home." I murmured, glancing at the clock. The girls all pouted at me, while the guys pretended not to be disappointed.

"Aw… Gabi! Don't make us leave! Can't we stay over?"

I groaned, remembering the conversation with my mom. I knew how mad she would be if I let them stay over; I would never hear the end of it. "I'm really sorry! But my mom said no one could stay over…" I trailer off, biting my lip.

The gang all groaned as they picked themselves off my bed and floor, succeeding in making me feel as guilty as possible. "I already feel guilty!" I whined, pouting at them as they pretended to look depressed. "Don't make me feel me feel more guilty!" The gang just continued their little act.

Troy laughed and walked up to me. "They're just kidding. Don't worry about it." He slung his backpack over his shoulder and kissed me on the cheek. I unsuccessfully tried to stop the color that was rising in my cheeks, and turned away to hide it from him. He must have seen it though; he was most definitely smirking slightly as I turned away.

Taylor and Sharpay giggled a little bit, stopping instantly as I shot them a death glare. They just shrugged innocently before grabbing their stuff and walking out.

After the gang had left, I collapsed on my bed to just think.

I couldn't believe I had told Troy about my parent problems. I've known him for what, four weeks? And I'm telling him my deepest secret? There MUST be something wrong with me. I rolled over on my bed so I was facing the wall, my eyes slowly closing.

At least I hadn't told him about Grace. All I had told him was that my parents and I didn't have the best relationship. Thank god they hadn't read the entire poem; I would have been in way deep if that had happened. I exhaled slightly, blowing my hair out of my face and hugging my arms to my shivering body. I wished Troy was still here; I already missed the feeling of being in his arms. A smile tugged at my lips as I remembered our little rendezvous outside on the balcony. It was just one of those things you would never forget because it was just such a special time.

Sure, I had been crying my eyes out, but did that really matter? I had felt what it was like to be in Troy's arms. And that was all that mattered.

Troy's face was the last thing I saw before I drifted into a much needed sleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I shot up in my bed as my door slammed open. Squinting into through the dark room, I could barely make out my mother's figure in the doorway. Just this sight was starting to make me tremble a bit. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was 2:30. Great I'd been asleep for exactly fifteen minutes.

"Mom? What are you doing in here?" I asked cautiously. She flipped the light switch, revealing her angry expression. I shrunk back a little; she looked exactly like she had when she slapped me four years ago. I really didn't want to go through that again.

"Hmm. Let's see…" She hissed. "How about, your friends stayed here until two in the morning! And as they left, they were talking and laughing as if they owned the place!" Suddenly, she stopped and looked at me, 'realization' dawning. "You did that to get back at me, didn't you? You probably told them to talk as loud as they could! Was it because I yelled at you in front of them, so you decided to be a brat and get back at me? Was that it?" I stared at her. Why the hell was she doing this?

"Okay, mom. First of all, you sound extremely immature. Are you completely incapable of acting like an adult? And second of all, why the fuck would I do that? Unlike you, I actually have come maturity and don't get cruel just because I'm mad at someone. Do me a favor and leave my room. Like now."

I knew I was being pretty mean, but I was just matching her. I mean come on, she really did sound like one of those paranoid, bitchy cheerleaders at my school. Isn't she supposed to act more mature than a high schooler? For god's sake, she's an adult!

My mom just opened and closed her mouth like a fish, staring at me. Finally, her eyes in slits, she screamed, "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, TELLING ME I'M IMMATURE?!"

Her scream shocked me more than a little, but I stood up, always ready for a fight. "You're an adult. Start acting like one." I told her calmly, staring her straight in the eye.

And then is happened again. She slapped me, hard, right on the cheek. Tears rushed to my eyes as I held my stinging cheek and stared at her defiantly.

"Omigosh, Gabi! I am so sorr--" My mom began, clamping her hand over her mouth.

"Save it." I whispered, before dashing out of the room, leaving a distraught Ms. Montez behind me.

**No POV**

Troy walked along the darkened street, laughing. He and Chad had snuck out of his house as soon as they got back from Gabriella's house; Chad was going to sleep over.

"You should have seen your face when Sharpay gave you your dare!" Hooted Chad, still slightly doubled over in laughter. A blushing Troy just shook his head at his best friend and looked the other way.

They were passing Gabriella's house when they heard a faint sob. Troy swung out his arm to stop Chad from walking, and Chad ran into it with an 'oof'. Troy motioned for him to listen, and Chad lifted his afro so he could hear properly. Sure enough, there were distinct sobs coming from their front yard. Fearing the worst, Troy motioned for Chad to stay there as he dashed into the yard.

He found her curled up in a ball at the base of their willow tree, crying her heart out. "Brie?" He said weakly, before rushing over to her and wrapping his arms around her. She tensed in his arms for a moment, before breaking down into sobs right there in his arms.

"Shh… It'll be alright. Just tell me what happened." Whispered Troy, smoothing out her hair. He was trying anything to get her to stop crying; he hated it when girls cried, especially Gabriella. Gabriella just snaked her arms around his middle and held him tighter.

"My mom." She finally whispered. "She…" Those were the only words she could speak at the moment. She just couldn't go on.

"What did your mom do?" Asked Troy gently. Gabriella just buried her face in his leather jacket and ignored the question. Sighing, Troy just held her tighter and made himself more comfortable against the willow tree. His eyes drooped closed as he held her in his arms.

Gabriella unburied her head from Troy's jacket, and wiped her tears as she looked up at him. He looked so peaceful as he sat there, and a much needed smile was tugging at her lips as she watched him. Just being in his arms was washing away any thoughts of her mother. Gabriella was memorizing the way he breathed, the way his sandy blonde hair was falling into his eyes, the way his body felt against hers.

Without warning, Gabriella leaned up and kissed him softly; it wasn't hard or passionate, it was just a simple way of thanking him and telling him how she felt. Though his eyes remained closed, he smiled against the kiss and gently pulled her closer. Gabriella broke away and smiled softly at him, leaning her forehead against his.

Troy opened his eyes and returned the smile, his blue eyes twinkling. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug, and she nestled her head into the crook of his neck.

In unison, the new couple whispered, "Finally."

**Okay, so was that like a really bad job of getting them together? Cuz' I think it could have been more… I don't know. Spectacular? Lol. Anyways, 10 reviews gets the next chapter! Btw, reviewing honestly only takes five seconds of your time. please take those five seconds to review my story!  
**


	6. I don't really care

**Sorry I took forever to update, but I just couldn't bring myself to the computer to write anything. Anyways, here the chapter!**

_Ms. Montez sat outside the bedroom door, her heart breaking with every sob her daughter uttered within the room. She slid down the wall, down to the floor, burying her head in her hands. Oh, how she wanted to tell Gabriella that everything was alright, that everything would be okay._

_But no, Ms. Montez couldn't handle going into that room and seeing her distraught daughter in that condition._

"_I'm such a bad mother." Said Ms. Montez softly, refusing to let the tears fall. Why couldn't she do it? Why was it so hard for her to just go in to the bedroom, pull her daughter into her arms, and tell her that the boy wasn't worth her tears? Assuming it was a boy._

_Finally, Ms. Montez got the courage to peek her head into the room. What she found there scared her._

_There was Gabriella, curled up into a ball, crying her eyes out. The petite girl was shivering in the cold room, and Ms. Montez finally approached her._

"_Sweetie, what's wrong?" Asked Ms. Montez softly, lowering herself onto the lower half of Gabriella's bed. Gabriella pushed her dark curls out of her tear streaked face, and looked up at her mother sadly. Ms. Montez pulled Gabriella into her lap and rubbed the young child's back soothingly._

"_I told him." Gabriella mumbled into her mother's shoulder._

_Ms. Montez sighed; she'd been right. It was about a boy. The older woman thought back to when Gabriella could have possibly told her about a certain boy, the name Warren popping up in her mind._

"_Warren… right?" Asked Ms. Montez. Gabriella nodded and broke into a fresh set of tears at the mention of his name._

"_I told him… And he told me he liked Janet and Alicia! I don't get it… Am I not pretty enough? Am I not smart enough?" Gabriella bawled, burying her face into her mother's neck. Ms. Montez's motherly instincts kicked in, and she whispered comforting things in her daughter's ears._

"_He isn't worth your tears, Gabi. Don't worry about him."_

_About a half-hour later, Gabriella's sobs subsided and she was fast asleep. Ms. Montez smiled down at her daughter, loving how the moment felt._

_As she carefully tucked Gabriella into bed, Ms. Montez knew she would remember this day forever._

_----------------_

_In your eyes_

_I am ugly._

_I am ragged._

_I am trash._

_A waste of space._

_-------------------_

Gabriella leaned back against Troy's legs, savoring the way his arms felt wrapped around her waist. She could feel his warm breath against her neck; sighing contently, all thoughts of her mother vanished from her mind. Troy seemed to be immensely content too; he was falling asleep at that very moment, right in front of Gabriella's house.

A voice woke the pair from their reverie. "Troy! Dude, where the hell are you?" Gabriella shot up out of Troy's arms, while Troy blinked sleepily and looked around. "TROY!" Chad called again, and this time Troy was completely awake.

"Crap." He muttered, pulling Gabriella into a hug and planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Love you." He whispered, before darting out behind the tree and meeting up with his friend.

A smile graced the brunette's flawless features as she made her way into the house yet again. She ignored her mother's profuse apologies as she passed, still smiling dreamily as she made her way up to the room.

"Gabriella! Stop this instant, I need to talk to you!" Called Ms. Montez, making her way down the hall. Awoken from her daydream, Gabriella whirled around in surprise. She simply huffed loudly as she saw her mother's silhouette in the dimly lit hallway. "Please. I didn't mean to, Gabi." Ms. Montez pleaded, taking a step closer to her daughter.

Gabriella simply stepped away and sang "I don't really ca-are!" Sidestepping her desperate mother, she stepped into her room and slammed the door behind her.

She felt like nothing could bring her down now, and she was most definitely happy about that.

Not the painful palm of her mother's hand, not the fact that her relationship with her parents was almost faded. Nothing could bring her down.

-

Gabriella shot up in her bed, squinting in the darkness of her bedroom. A rapping noise on her balcony window caused her to stand up and look out the darkened window. And there, shivering from the sheer coldness of the winter air, was the one and only Troy Bolton. Gabriella hurried to the French doors and let him in, draping a nearby blanket around his shaking shoulders.

"Troy Bolton!" Gabriella hissed angrily, all the while feeling slightly ecstatic he had come. "What are you thinking?"

Troy just shrugged and grinned at her. "I was thinking that I wanted to see my… girlfriend?" He asked hopefully, glancing quickly at Gabriella. She smiled and put a hand under his chin.

"I would love to be your girlfriend." She said sweetly, adding angrily, "But never do that again." Gabriella gave him a small smile and lead him over to the couch. Pulling him down alongside her, she settled against the back of the couch.

Troy just smiled at her; she was just in a pair of rolled-up sweats and a cami, her hair messy and a ring of makeup beneath her eyes, but she was still beautiful to him. And best of all, she was now his, and he hers. After staring at her with a smile for a few minutes, he followed her example and leaned against the back of the couch, his eyes drooping closed.

Troy was just fading into sleep when Gabriella's soft voice brought him back to consciousness.

"I have an idea." She told him with, an evil smile spreading across her face. "You know how the gang kept telling us to get together?" Troy nodded. "Maybe we should play a little trick on them. Let's see how long we can pretend we're not going out before they figure it out!"

Troy groaned and briefly closed his eyes. "But then we'll have even less time together as a couple!"

When he opened his eyes, he groaned again. Gabriella was pouting and making her big chocolate eyes look as puppy-like as possible.

"Fine. You win." He told her. With a satisfied smile, Gabriella made herself comfortable against Troy's chest while he wrapped his arms around her torso, not unlike the earlier ordeal in Gabriella's front yard. Slowly but surely, the couple fell asleep in each other's arms. **(A/N: Aww! So CUTE!)**

-

-

The sound of footsteps in the hall awoke Gabriella. Blinking stupidly, she looked around. The digital clock was flashing 6:30 am in big red letters.

Yawning and stretching, she stood and made her way to the shower, completely forgetting who she was leaving inside.

Gabriella stepped into the warm caress of the water, smiling slightly as her senses began to wake. Closing her eyes briefly, she turned the hot water up and blasted some music from the bathroom radio.

"GOOOOOOOOD MORNING ALBUQUERQUE!" Cried Jim Villanucci. Gabriella smiled again; Jim always knew how to wake up the neighborhood. "It looks it is going to be a foggy morning for all you commuters, so be careful on the freeway! So, yesterday was my anniversary with my wife. And for once, I actually remembered! So, I just wanted to wish her a happy anniversary one last time. So here is our song, Forever and For Always by Shania Twain. I love you babe."

_In your arms I can still feel the way you  
want me when you hold me  
I can still hear the words you whispered  
when you told me  
I can stay right here forever in your arms_

'_Awe… That's so cute.' _Thought Gabriella, her eyes twinkling. The song was already making her think of Troy. _'Wow, this song perfectly describes me and Troy!' _Her famous laugh echoed through the bathroom as she turned off the water and stepped into her robe..

_And there ain't no way--  
I'm lettin' you go now  
And there ain't no way--  
and there ain't not how  
I'll never see that day...  
_

She Flipped her hair over and wrapped in a fluffy white towel. As she straightened up, she heard some yelling echo from her room. And that was when Gabriella remembered Troy.

_'Cause I'm keeping you  
forever and for always  
We will be together all of our day  
Wanna wake up every  
morning to your sweet face--always  
_

The brunette gasped and rushed into the room to see her father yelling heatedly at a shocked Troy.

"What are you doing in my daughter's room?!" Mr. Montez screamed, his face turning a bright red color. Troy's face, however, was paling at the monstrous man in front of him.

"I wasn't doing anything wrong, sir. I'll just go--"

"What, are you her boyfriend?! Her 'lover'?!"

Troy didn't know how to respond to that, and bit his lip until it was a shade of white. Gabriella was rooted to the spot; her feet would just not move.

_Mmmm, baby  
In your heart--I can still hear  
a beat for every time you kiss me  
And when we're apart,  
I know how much you miss me  
I can feel your love for me in your heart_

"DAD!" Gabriella finally screamed. "What the hell is your problem?!"

Mr. Montez jumped at the sound of his daughter's voice. "Don't scream at me, young lady. You were the one who brought a guy to your_bedroom_." Spat Mr. Montez, whirling on his daughter. Troy bit his lip watching the two.

"He's not just a guy. He's my boyfriend, and we didn't have sex. So shut the hell up, _daddy_." Gabriella put emphasis on the word 'daddy', plastering a honey-sweet smile on her face. Mr. Montez just stared at her.

"Fine." He said shortly, before walking out of the room and slamming the door behind him. Smirking triumphantly, Gabriella turned and walked to her closet, completely ignoring her confused boyfriend.

_And there ain't no way--  
I'm lettin' you go now  
And there ain't now way--  
and there ain't no how  
I'll never see that day..._

As she dug through her closet, she felt Troy wrap his arms around her from the back. She stood up rigidly, reluctant to let go of her anger.

Finally, she began relaxing into his arms; her tensed muscles slowly loosening.

"That's better." Whispered Troy in her ear. He kissed her cheek before opening the French balcony doors and disappearing into the cold winter morning.

Gabriella stood there for a few seconds, a smile tugging at her lips as she remembered the tickle of his breath on her ear, the way his hands snaked around her waist, the way he could get to calm down with just a simple touch. "I think I love him." The teenager whispered to herself, before collapsing onto her bed, smiling like a crazy person.

-

-

"Troy? Earth to Troy!" Shouted Sharpay, waving her hand in front of the daydreaming teenager.

"Troy!" Taylor snapped her fingers loudly next to Troy's face.

"Huh?" Troy asked stupidly, blinking in confusion at his friends. They all laughed and rolled their eyes at him, while he grinned sheepishly. "What? I zoned out, I do that all the time!" He exclaimed, trying to get them to stop exchanging knowing looks.

"We could practically see you thinking about Gabi!" Jason laughed, bumping fists with Zeke. Meanwhile, Troy just blushed and looked away. "Aha! We were right!"

"Whatever guys…" Muttered Troy, desperately trying to return his face to a normal color. Taylor just winked at Sharpay and Kelsi, and they smirked at Troy.

Troy was about to say something, when a small pair of hands covered his eyes. The 'mystery' person cleared their throat and began trying to talk in a very low voice. "Guess who?"

Troy chuckled and pretended to think. "Zeke?"

The person behind him laughed and cleared their throat again. "Dude, How'd you know?" The real Zeke laughed heartily along with the rest of the gang. Troy turned around to face his girlfriend, and barely stopped himself from swooping down and capturing her lips with his. Gabriella gave him a warning look before turning making a place in the circle of people between Taylor and Sharpay.

"So Troy was apparently thinking about you, Gabs." Said Chad, nudging Zeke in the ribs and laughing. Gabriella blushed and looked at Troy questioningly. He just shrugged and looked up at the sky, praying that this conversation would be over soon. The bell echoed through the campus, and the gang just chattered with each other as they gathered their stuff and made their way to their first classes. Gabriella and Troy walked as slowly as possible, hoping this would go unnoticed by the gang. Sure enough, the gang just kept walking, oblivious to the absence of Troy and Gabriella.

As soon as the gang was out of sight, Troy ran over to Gabi, intertwining his fingers with hers. She smiled up at him, pushing dark curls out of her eyes.

Troy leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I hate this already." He murmured, pulling her into a hug. The rest of the student body was completely gone from the courtyard, for which the pair was thankful.

Gabriella nodded slightly and buried her head into the crook of his neck. "It'll be worth it though. How about… We only do it for a week. Okay?" Troy nodded and pulled away, leading her towards the big red doors that lead into the halls of East High.

-

Gabriella yawned tiredly, tapping her pencil against the edge of her textbook. She glanced anxiously at the clock, willing it to go faster. Kelsi, the only one who was in this class with Gabriella, watched her with amusement.

"So." Whispered Kelsi, leaning forward on her elbows. "What's up with you and Troy?" Gabriella looked at her friend nervously and shrugged.

"What are you talking about?" Gabi's eyes flicked between Kelsi and the clock, biting her lip.

"You know what I'm talking about." Said Kelsi gently. "You like him, don't you?" Gabriella gave a small nod and looked quickly at the worksheet they were supposed to be finishing. _Telling her I like him couldn't hurt, right? "_You guys already look like a couple. Kind of funny in a way." While Kelsi said this, Gabriella had been drinking from her water bottle. Coughing and sputtering, Gabriella looked at Kelsi with wide eyes.

"Kelsi. You are crazy." Said Gabriella, forcing a smile. Kelsi smiled secretively, and shook her head at her friend.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

Gabriella raced out of the classroom, wanting to get as far away from Kelsi as possible. _This could be harder than I thought._

**So, this was kind of a filler chapter because I felt really bad for not updating. If this total crap, lol, then please tell me! Kay? Kay.**

**First of all, I want to thank you guys sooo much for the reviews! They are so great! **

**And second of all, I don't know if I'm going to continue this story… tell if I should or not, and be honest!**

**YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOME!**

**(oh, and 10 reviews gets the next chapter, if i continue of course.) **

**Xoxo**

**Sophie**


	7. Forever and for always

**My god, guys. I am SO sorry for not updating.**

**Anyways, first of all, I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY VANESSA HUDGENS! Today is her 19th birthday, and I wish her the best. J**

**Second of all, I am, obviously, continuing the story. Sorry for saying I might, I guess I just was comparing myself to all the great writers on fanfic. Everybody gave me really great feedback on the story so yeah, I'll continue. Sorry again!**

**Heres the chapter.**

_An older man whistled to himself as he set down the sidewalk, twirling his keys on one finger. The wind whistled through trees beneath overcast skies; it was not the most pleasant day to be out of the house and out for a walk. So why, you ask, is this man outside? He couldn't tell you. All he could tell you was that something had drawn him out to the pavement below his doorstep, beckoning him down the road._

_The wind tousled his short blonde hair as he made his way down the street. He was thinking about how wonderful his life was._

_He had a wife, two amazing kids, a job he loved. Life right now was everything he'd ever wanted, and he would do anything to keep it that way._

_As he neared the park, he spotted a young girl, probably no older than his eldest daughter. Long, dark curls cascaded down her back, a worn blanket placed around her shaking shoulders as she swayed slightly in a swing. The man's heart ached for the girl as he neared; she was obviously crying._

_Finally, the man reached the park and jumped with surprising agility over the fence. Cautiously, he approached the distressed teenager and placed himself in the swing beside her._

_Drops of rain began to fall as he just sat beside the girl, staring up at the sky. Clouds were rolling in overhead, but the man resisted the urge to abandon the girl and return to the warmth of his house. She sniffled and looked down towards something in her hands._

_The man looked down as well, and found a picture of a family. The small girl in the center looked like a younger version of the girl beside him. Behind her stood her mother and father; her mother's hand was on the girl's shoulder and the father's arm rested around the mother's shoulder. It was the perfect picture, the entire family looked at complete peace._

_Glancing up at the girl, he could plainly see she was blinking back tears. She bit her lip and looked up at the sky, as though praying. Although his heart was breaking at this sight, something about her fascinated him. It was as though he had seen her before, in a distant dream._

_Mascara ran down her cheeks as she silently sobbed beside him. She knew he was there, and yet she somehow didn't care that he was witnessing her practically breaking down in front of his very eyes._

"_What did I do?" She whispered to the heavens. It responded only with heavier rainfall as the man looked on._

_The girl briefly looked back down at the picture, before an anger surged into her glassy brown eyes. In one violent movement, she had ripped the picture into various pieces. And that was when she really broke down. Her hands flew to cover her tears as loud, racking sobs filled the air. She sunk down from her swing and leaned against the frame of the swing set; the man found himself to be in tears himself._

_What had this girl done to deserve whatever that had happened? Nobody deserved this kind of agony._

_Finally, she looked up at the man through her blinding tears. _

"_I'm sorry."_

_With that, she lifted herself off the ground and began running towards the park exit. The man just sat there, watching her._

_He could see her dark, soaked curls slapping against her face as she ran. He just knew that she was still crying, with an unfixable broken heart residing on her sleeve._

_And then she turned the corner, and was gone, leaving the man with a heavy heart to carry all the way back to his family._

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do t--"

Troy clamped a hand over his girlfriend's mouth, intending on ending the argument. Sharpay just smirked at her friend.

"See? Even Troy knows I'm right." Sharpay claimed as Troy carefully removed his hand from over Gabriella's mouth.

"Whatever Sharpay." Gabriella laughed, smiling at her friend. Sharpay returned the gesture and started making her way towards her pink convertible.

It was a chilly Friday afternoon, and the gang was just hanging out outside after school let out. Everyone was exhausted because their last class of the day, P. E., had consisted of running around the track four million times. After that grueling experience, they were forced to climb the dreaded rope. Of course.

As Gabriella looked up at the overcast skies, a certain sense of dejavu washed over her briefly. Something about the weather, about the swing in the nearby park swaying in the wind, something she just couldn't put her finger on. She shook her head, clearing her mind of any unsettling thoughts. Feeling someone nudge her gently, she turned to the boy beside her, brown eyes meeting blue.

"You okay?" He asked gently, neither of them aware that the gang was watching the whole exchange with interest. The brunette sighed and gave a small nod, keeping her eyes trained on the concrete. "How about you come over to my house later… Okay?"

A smile lit up Gabriella's flawless features and she gave a small nod. "That sounds good." She whispered.

Troy was surprised by Gabriella's sudden change in mood. One moment she had been having a playful argument with Sharpay about whether Sharpay was obsessed with Zac Efron, the next she looked depressed and distant. It was most definitely worrying him.

Gabriella seemed to sense this and put a finger under his chin, gently pushing his head towards hers. "I'm fine. I promise." Troy gave her a small smile and barely caught himself, yet again, from kissing her right then. The pair suddenly seemed to sense that the gang was there and instantly turned a bright crimson. The entire gang just smirked at them.

"That was truly touching." Jason simpered, placing a hand over his heart. Sharpay, Taylor, and Kelsi all began giggling, ignoring the death glare Gabriella was sending them. When the glare failed, Gabriella sighed and resigned herself to the consequences of their actions.

"C'mon Gabriella. We're going shopping." Said Taylor with a smile, stepping forward and pulling her away from her boyfriend.

"But--" Gabriella began, sending a pleading glance over her shoulder. Troy just mouthed 'tonight' before turning back to the guys.

Gabriella groaned and allowed herself to be pushed into the back seat of Sharpay's convertible.

-

-

Gabriella's head hurt like a bitch. That was the only way to describe the feeling she got after shopping with Sharpay Evans. She exhaled deeply and leaned her head against the cool window.

The car was silent as the exhausted girls made their way down the highway. Rain began to patter against the window shield, forcing Sharpay to put on the window wipers. Gabriella stared out at the endless fields surrounding the highway, spotting a lone tree in the distance. She found it funny how it was like her life; it was just an empty field with nothing to lean against. But then there was her tree. Her Troy.

"So should I drop you off at your house, Gabs?" Sharpay broke into her thoughts. Gabriella gave her a tired smile and shook her head.

"Actually Troy's… We're going to _study_." She added at the amused looks she received from her friends. They just smirked at her and turned their eyes back to the road. Rolling her eyes, Gabriella briefly dropped her head on Kelsi's shoulder. Kelsi just patted her arm sympathetically as Gabriella turned and faced the window.

A half hour later, the pink convertible stopped in front of a familiar tan house. Kelsi turned to Gabriella just to find the brunette was in a deep sleep, her even breathing steaming up the window. Taylor, the strongest out of the three friends, picked up Gabriella and carefully carried her to the house.

Troy instantly assumed the worst when he found Taylor on his doorstep with a knocked out Gabriella.

"Oh my god. What--" He breathed. Taylor just shook her head and smiled to herself at the worry on his face.

"She's sleeping." Taylor whispered, and carefully set Gabriella into a very shocked Troy's arms. "Bye!" Taylor whispered, before making her way back to the pink convertible idling in front of the house.

Troy looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms, not quite sure how to handle the situation. She mumbled something indistinguishable and wrapped an arm around his neck, snuggling into his chest. Laughing softly, Troy carried her to the couch, turning off lights as he went. He set her down next to him, smiling as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

_She is beautiful. _He thought to himself, brushing some curls away from her face. He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently, careful not to move her body.

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him with big eyes, looking like a small, innocent child. "Hey." She whispered, lifting her head so they were eye to eye.

"Hey." He whispered back. It was almost as if they said anything too loud, it would break the moment. And for Gabriella, it was the most honest, sincere moment she had ever experienced. Gabriella intertwined their fingers and replaced her head on his chest.

"Love you…"

"Forever and for always." Finished Troy.

They both laughed quietly and resigned themselves to enjoying each other's company. It wasn't long before something happened that was similar to what had happened a few days earlier: they fell asleep in each other's arms.

-

-

_Crack!_

Gabriella awoke with a start, jolting upwards on the couch. Troy was on the ground next to the couch, having apparently fell in the middle of the night; that thought alone making Gabriella giggle softly. Another crack of thunder brought her back to the current situation, and she instantly began to shiver uncontrollably.

"Troy." She whispered, leaning down to shake his shoulder. He just groaned and looked up at her.

"What is it, Gabs?" He asked softly.

"The lightning storm." She answered. He squinted through the darkness at her and rolled his eyes, unbeknownst to Gabriella.

"Just go to sleep."

"What?!" Gabriella hissed, her blood beginning to boil. "I've _told _you about my phobia of thunder storms! What's your problem?!"

Troy sat up and looked her straight in the eyes. "Just go to sleep, okay?! I have a basketball game tomorrow! I need to sleep! I think you'll be fine!" And with that he laid back down on the floor and closed his eyes.

Gabriella sniffled, tears coming to her eyes. She slipped off the couch and into the kitchen, grabbing her bag as she went.

She dug around in her bag for a few moments before finally finding what she was looking for. Her cell phone.

Gabriella dialed a familiar number.

"Hello?"

"Mom?" Gabriella asked softly, trying her hardest not to burst out crying.

"Gabriella! Where are you?!" Ms. Montez's angry voice rang through the speaker, and Gabriella had to momentarily hold it away from her ear.

"Please just pick me up. I'm at 482 Buena Vista."

"Why should I--"

"Please! I… I just really need to go home. I'm scared." Gabriella whimpered, the tears now flowing freely.

Ms. Montez could vaguely recall Gabriella's fear of thunder storms, and despite her inner battle, her motherly instincts won her over.

"Alright,_mija_. I'll be there soon." Gabriella sniffled in response as they both hung up.

Gabriella had hated thunder storms ever since she was little; they reduced her to tears every time. It didn't help the fact that her so called boyfriend, whom she had told every detail of her phobia, didn't seem to care. Just the thought of Troy made Gabriella want to just break down right then and there. Nothing really was what it seemed anymore. Troy, her anchor, her rock, her tree in the middle of a field, was dissolving beneath her. It was like nothing good could stay in her life. First her parents, and then her friends, and then Warren. Gabriella couldn't believe it. What if she was already losing him?

"Don't cry." She whispered to herself, before lifting herself off the ground and out the front door to the waiting car.

**Sorry that was kinda short guys. Oh well… Review time!!10 reviews gets the next chapter!!  
**


	8. I Tried

**Soooooo…. I haven't updated in about… forever? Sorry a bunch! I have been so busy, you would not believe, This chapter is a short one, slightly a filler chapter, and I'm also trying out a new writing technique:D yay! Haha, anyways, enjoy this chapter.. I'll try to update sooner next time.**

_A 14 year-old Gabriella Montez sat by the window sill, watching the falling snow drift to the ground. The sight was mesmerizing to the youngling; the darkness of the sky beyond daunting. A sad smile slipped onto her face as the lights in the trees lit, the small Christmas lights illuminating the empty road._

_People bustled around and past the young girl, oblivious to the hopelessness that resided in her eyes. Why would she be sitting in the corner on Christmas Eve, with no one to keep her company? What was wrong? No one knew, and frankly, no one cared. Just one less troublesome teenager to watch after._

_Although the majority of the party goers chose to ignore the lonely brunette, a pair of eyes was watching her from the corner of the room. _

_Mr. Montez inhaled deeply and lowered himself into the armchair across the room from his daughter. He had no question in his mind as to what was ailing the poor girl; he had heard her sobbing in her room with her boyfriend, telling him she wanted no more of his "insensitive bullshit". _

_Mr. Montez, although he would never admit it, really did feel for the girl. He knew how hard it was to break up with someone, and then have them walk out as though nothing had happened. For that was what her little boyfriend had done. Just walked right out without a second glance, stopping only to give Ms. Montez a polite smile._

_Mr. Montez exhaled, releasing a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. A frown appeared briefly on his handsome features as he recognized his daughter's shaking as sobs, not shivering. Finally, using almost every ounce of willpower he could muster, Mr. Montez lifted himself out of his chair and made his way towards the dark corner._

"_Gabriella… What are you doing? It's Christmas Eve, and you're just sitting around?" Mr. Montez winced at his own tone, his sentence having come out much more harsh than intended. After all, it had been years since he'd attempted to comfort anyone other than his wife, much less the daughter he'd been shunning for years._

_Gabriella jumped at the sound of her father's voice, and turned so her body was facing him. "Sorry." She said softly, looking down at the ground and blinking back the inevitable tears. Why did everyone hate her so much? Warren had just walked out of her house without emotion when she broke up with him, her mom had screamed at her five minutes after the breakup because Warren had tracked mud into the house, she was forced to come to this stupid Christmas party, and now her dad was doing his usual "I'm not going to take your shit so do what I told you or else" act._

_Gabriella lifted herself off of the window sill, tearing her eyes off the floor and looking up at her father. His heart broke as he looked at her eyes. They were bloodshot and tear-filled, sad and hopeless. It was obvious that she really had her heart broken._

_As Gabriella finally looked away from her father, she sidestepped him and began to make her way towards the other women across the room. Sighing, Mr. Montez pulled his daughter into a hug. She tensed in his arms, keeping her own arms pinned too her side. _

_Finally, Mr. Montez released her when he sensed she wasn't hugging him back. Giving him a tearful glare, Gabriella stormed away from him, joining the other kids chatting on the couches._

_Mr. Montez didn't understand. He had hugged her, attempted to be a loving parent, and she pushes him away? It just didn't make sense. He shook his head, trying to get to shake memory of the hateful glare Gabriella gave him._

"_I tried." He muttered, before grabbing a beer and joining the other men in the kitchen._

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_-----------------_

_I'm a bitch.  
I've built my walls.  
I let no one too close anymore.  
I will snap at the smallest thing,  
Not knowing why._

_--------------------- _

Gabriella stared up at the ceiling, contemplating whether or not to actually get out of her warm bed. Admittedly, the prospect of going to school and facing Troy was not so welcoming. What would he do? Would he pretend nothing had happened? Would he get on his hands and knees in apology? Gabriella didn't know, and frankly, she really didn't want to.

The brunette couldn't help but feel she was making a big deal out of nothing. After all, she _had_ woken him up in the middle of the night because she was scared. Although she would have preferred him to comfort her like those dream boyfriends you always hear about, it really wasn't that big of a deal for him to get a bit mad because she woke him up!

Shaking her head, Gabriella threw off the comforter and dragged herself out of bed. Lightly pushing the bathroom door open, she made her way in front of the mirror.

Gabriella's appearance was overall pretty disheveled; her hair was matted, and her eyes were dark and bloodshot from lack of sleep.

Staring blankly at her reflection, Gabriella felt herself wanting to collapse right then and there. Could she already be losing him? Her relationship with her family was lost, and now the only other love she could depend on was dissolving as well? Leaning forward on the porcelain edge of the sink, the distressed teenager buried her face in her hands.

"Don't cry." She mumbled into her hands. "You're making a big deal out of nothing. Stop being a baby." Finally lifting her head out of her hands, Gabriella tiredly blew a piece of hair out of her face, propping her chin up on her palm.

After finally making her way out of an unsuccessful trip to the bathroom, Gabriella went to her closet, half-asleep as she picked a warm, conservative outfit for the day.

"This should be fun…" Gabriella thought to herself wearily, placing a thin headband into her abundance of curls.

A half hour later, Gabriella found herself standing warily in front of the school. Her lip was sore from her bad habit of constantly biting it, her brow seeming to be permanently furrowed for the moment. The occasional passing student would nod to her in greeting, or maybe even utter some kind of greeting to the obviously stressed girl.

It took almost all of Gabriella's willpower to not turn around and go home right that very moment. Just as the brunette lifted her foot to advance towards the school, a hand on her shoulder made her stop. Refraining from groaning at the recognition of his touch, Gabriella closed her eyes and turned, hoping that maybe when she opened them it would somehow be someone else. No such luck however, as she opened her eyes and found herself staring into a beautiful pair of blue orbs.

"Troy?" Gabriella asked stiffly, refraining from losing herself in those electric blue eyes.

"Gabriella?" Troy mimicked teasingly, easily covering her small hand with his and leading her towards the school. Although he never would have known it, the girl beside him was fighting an inner-battle.

_It feels so nice to just go back to what we normally do. I mean, it wasn't that big of a deal that he got mad, right? Sure, he was being an ignorant ass, but he is so sweet! _Gabriella thought to herself. _But then again, I told him about my phobia! Why didn't he comfort me? Even Warren would have comforted me! _

Gabriella inwardly scolded herself for even thinking about Warren. He was just a thing of the past, nothing more. Just a sign of her old life, along with drugs and alcohol. Oh, and maybe Alicia.

Finally, Gabriella gently slipped her hand out of his, stopping right there on the sidewalk. She watched his retreating form stop at the sudden absence of her hand.

"Gabi? What's wrong?" Troy asked in confusion as he turned to face his girlfriend. Gabriella shrugged nonchalantly, staring defiantly into his eyes. The confusion in his eyes revealed he had no idea whatsoever why his girlfriend was so upset.

Finally, she rolled her eyes at his ignorance, putting her hands on her hips and cocking her head to the side. "Whatever, Troy…" She laughed, purposefully brushing past his arm as she made her way towards the school, leaving a very confused Troy Bolton staring after her.

-

-

-----------------

_Sometimes I wonder,  
If maybe, just maybe,  
You're driving me towards my own destruction.  
My own demise,  
All alone in my walls._

_----------------------- _

The wind whipped the brunette's hair about her face as she kneeled before the piece of stone. The sun had finally come out after a downcast morning, but a frigid wind continued to terrorize the people of Albuquerque. The last thing you would expect to see in a graveyard was a teenager in a pink Tinkerbelle t-shirt and Capri's, staring angrily at a small grave. A grave so small, it could have been for an infant.

"Why did you have to come?" Gabriella began bitterly, her normally soft brown eyes fiery. "You didn't even DO anything! Other than making my home life a living hell, of course. No, you just came out, was pronounced dead, and made my parents angry, insolate people who think their daughter is a waste of space. Thanks so much, _sister_."

"And you know what else, Grace? I just got in a fight with my boyfriend." Gabriella was silent for a moment, thinking over the events of the previous night. She licked her lips nervously and looked back towards her sister's grave.

"I don't know why I freaked out. Maybe I overreacted… But still, when I talked to him this morning, her didn't even know what I was talking about! I mean, come on, Troy! I was practically in tears because of the lightning storm, and you just sit there? Yell at me? Make me cry?" Gabriella whispered the last three words. She looked up at the sky, blinking back tears.

"Do you see that, Grace?" Gabriella said softly. She wiped a fresh set of tears and closed her eyes "He's not even here, and he can still make me cry. He's just like my parents." She could feel herself breaking. Her spirit, her body, her mind, her heart; all breaking.

In any other story, Troy would have come out of nowhere to apologize, to help. To lend a hand from prince charming. Maybe another friend would have shown up, to show their true friendship. Perhaps her parents would come to salvage their lost relationship, and everything would be amazing.

But no. In this story, Gabriella shed one last tear, and made her way out of the cemetery and into the cold night.

**I have a really bad habit of writing depressing chapters. Lol. But you know the drill, that little periwinkle button down there, you know you want to press it! REVIEW!**

**P.S.: It will get better soon. PROMISE!**

**P.S.S.: Sorry it was so short!**


	9. I Will Remember You

**OH MY GOD! I WROTE A CHAPTER FOR THIS STORY! It's been about three years... but I did it! And I'm determined to finish it. For those who read this story long ago, please refresh your memory before continuing. Enjoy. :)**

I had no destination. My feet carried me; my feet were the only thing between myself and rock bottom. The only thing keeping me from collapsing on the hard asphalt beneath me was a pair of worn, muddy converse and a steadily weakening pair of trembling legs.

The swirling vortex that was my conciousness blurred my vision; or was it just tears? I had not the faintest clue. But still, my feet carried me. They whisked me away from that cemetary, and from my late sister's grave. I practically flew past the supermarket. Past the movie theatre. Even past a familiar pink convertible, not quite concealing a confused and concerned Sharpay. Before I knew it, I was running! Running faster than I ever had before, racing past familiar shops and faces without a doubt in my mind. I could feel the pessimistic, agonizing thoughts and self-doubt fly out from behind me, like a stack of papers you hadn't quite held onto well enough in the force of the wind.

The night glowed a brilliant blue over my head; a blue so blue, you feel as if you'll never experience something quite like it again. It was a blue you would expect to see out somewhere beautiful and rare, like Hawaii, for example, or perhaps the Grand Canyon. It wasn't something you would expect to find in a place like Albuquerque, New Mexico. And it was then, when the last words of disdain or discouragement flew away in the soft currents of the desert breeze, that I stopped, and I smiled. I closed my tear-stained eyes and I let the gentle wind play with my hair, and the sand that escaped the grasp of the dry landscape tickle my nose. I carefully slipped off my Converse with my toes, and finally opened my eyes.

The sky was still darkening, and the blue slowly fading into black. I looked around; where was I? I knew I was somewhere on the outskirts of town, perhaps near a highway I thought as I listened to the low hum of cars nearby. There were a few houses spread out in a pattern I couldn't quite decipher, and I could hear the tinkling laughs of children float out of open windows and right to my ears. But I wasn't alone.

An older man came out of the closest house, reassuring a wife I couldn't quite see that he would be home soon. He put on his hat, hitched up his worn, leather jacket, and finally, looked up and noticed me. I could barely make out his expression in the dim light of the rising moon, but I could almost feel the curiosity radiating from him. He approached me, seeing as I was an unavoidable ten feet away, and stopped at a comfortable distance. I could see his features more clearly now; they were familiar, like I had seen them in a distant dream. He gave me a toothy grin. I returned it, not really sure how to feel or act in the situation.

"Gabi."

The simple utterance of my childhood nickname made me gasp. Who was this man?

"Gabi," He repeated, taking a step towards me. "I haven't seen you for so long. Please tell me you're doing well."

And suddenly, I recognized this strange man in front of me.

_"We have a code blue," Said the doctor shortly, before returning to the hallway. Gabriella watched the stranger as he stood in the middle of the room, a distant look on his face. He looked sad. _

"_What does code blue mean?" Asked Gabriella. The stranger looked at her, his brows furrowed._

"_It means someone's heart has stopped beating," He replied, not wanting to elaborate. This however, seemed to satisfy the child. She nodded and climbed back onto the seat, obviously not understanding what that meant._

_An older man whistled to himself as he set down the sidewalk, twirling his keys on one finger. The wind whistled through trees beneath overcast skies; it was not the most pleasant day to be out of the house and out for a walk. So why, you ask, is this man outside? He couldn't tell you. All he could tell you was that something had drawn him out to the pavement below his doorstep, beckoning him down the road._

_The wind tousled his short blonde hair as he made his way down the street. He was thinking about how wonderful his life was._

_He had a wife, two amazing kids, a job he loved. Life right now was everything he'd ever wanted, and he would do anything to keep it that way._

_As he neared the park, he spotted a young girl, probably no older than his eldest daughter. Long, dark curls cascaded down her back, a worn blanket placed around her shaking shoulders as she swayed slightly in a swing. The man's heart ached for the girl as he neared; she was obviously crying._

**NO POV**

"I know you..." Gabriella began cautiously, a look of realization slowly dawning over her soft, perfectly formed features. The man, named Owen, smiled sadly.

"I almost wish you didn't remember who I am," He replied, his voice laced with sympathy.

Owen wasn't much older than Gabriella's own father, with whom he had been co-workers for years before the dramatic uprooting of the Montez family in Maine. He moved to Albuquerque a few weeks after the Montez's. He now remains friends with Mr. Montez, making sure to keep tabs on how Gabriella was doing, but was cautious to never enter the household. Mr. Montez had confessed multiple times to Owen about how horribly him and his significant other had been treating their only living daughter. Owen's heart ached for not only Gabriella, but for Mr. and Ms. Montez as well. Yes, they had made mistakes (quite huge ones in fact!), but they were human. They were humans who needed love and understanding just as much as, if not more than, Gabriella. Having lost his first child to the war, Owen understood exactly how the Montez adults felt! It had taken him years upon years to begin trusting the world again, and to stop blaming anything that moved for his son's death. He had felt no more adult than a child at the candy shop when he found himself yelling at his wife and remaining children; but eventually, he realized he was in the middle of a stormy field. And what was he doing? Cutting down his only trees.

**GABI POV**

I didn't get home until two in the morning. I was exhausted, but more at peace than I had been at years. The traces of a small, contemplative smile could be found on my face that entire walk home. Thoughts had whirled through my head as I made the journey, and yet, not one was negative! I thought about how beautiful Owen's children were when he invited me to meet his family; I thought about the twinkling look of adoration that graced his wife's eyes as he reentered his home. But mostly, I thought about how wise and understanding Owen was, and how much he reminded me of my own father. But there was still one thing bothering me... Troy. **(A/N: This is the part where you find "You Will Remember Me" by Sarah Mclachlan on youtube!)**

_**I will remember you**_

_**Will you remember me?**_

_**Don't let your life pass you by**_

_**Weep not for the memories**_

I quietly entered my house through the french double doors off our backyard, careful to not make the slightest sound. I exhaled with relief as I slowly closed my bedroom door behind me. I grabbed the cordless phone off of my night stand, and held it tightly as I slid down the wall next to my vanity, resting my warm cheek on the cool, pale pink of my wall. I knew exactly what I had to do: apologize. But would he accept it? Would he caress my face at the school in the morning, and tell me "Brie it's okay"? Or would he decide I was dramatic, and that I was too much too handle? That I wasn't worth being confused and sad over?

_**Remember the good times that we had?**_

_**I let them slip away from us when things got bad**_

_**How clearly I first saw you smilin' in the sun**_

_**Wanna feel your warmth upon me, I wanna be the one**_

"I wouldn't be surprised..." I whispered to myself, a tinge of sadness seeping into my voice. I sighed, feeling the self-doubt I had just rid myself of come slowly back into my head. Remembering the phone in my hand, I dialed a familiar number, pausing for a moment before hitting the "Talk" button. I closed my eyes tightly as it began to ring, dreading the worst. But suddenly, an even more familiar ring tone could just barely be heard, not in my room, but outside.

_**I will remember you**_

_**Will you remember me?**_

_**Don't let your life pass you by**_

_**Weep not for the memories**_

"What the-" I began, before seeing the sillhouette of a tall, muscular boy in basketball shorts on my balcony. A smile slowly grew on my face - was this really happening? I slowly raised myself off the ground, dropping the still ringing phone to the ground. I saw the figure slowly raise up a ringing cell phone, and step into the light. And there stood the cerulean eyed boy I had found myself falling for more and more each day. Troy smiled; his eyes were shining and half of his features were highlighted in the dim light of my balcony. I hadn't even opened the door and I could already feel his embrace; I could even smell that familiar cologne that just made me want to bury my face in his chest and never come up for air.

_**I'm so tired but I can't sleep**_

_**Standin' on the edge of something much too deep**_

_**It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word**_

_**We are screaming inside, but we can't be heard**_

Finally, after some of the most intense, even comforting eye contact I had ever experienced, I reached the french doors and pulled them open as fast as I possibly could. My mouth began to form the words "I'm sorry", but they were quickly interrupted by Troy Bolton's soft lips. He pulled me into a kiss and embrace so tight and loving that it made me melt at the knees, and pulled tears of happiness to my eyes. We both knew this was not about our little disagreement; we both knew that this was us at our rawest form, meeting on a level that we had never been on before. It was me releasing my worries and my tragic woes. It was him telling me it was okay to love, and that it was okay to be loved. That it felt good even.

_**I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to loose**_

_**Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose**_

_**Once there was a darkness, deep and endless night**_

_**You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light**_

I smiled. He smiled. And once again, I could see that beautiful blue sky overhead, except this time... I knew it wouldn't ever fade.

_**And I will remember you**_

_**Will you remember me?**_

_**Don't let your life pass you by**_

_**Weep not for the memories**_

**Thanks for reading! Ten reviews gets the last chapter! **_**REVIEW!  
**_


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